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 Seats for Forklifts Vancouver - The city of Vancouver, Washington is located on the banks of the Columbia River. The city of Vancouver serves as the seat of Clark County. It is part of the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area, the 23rd-biggest metropolitan area in the United States. It is the 4th largest city in Washington State.
Named after the British Royal Navy officer, Captain George Vancouver, the city of Vancouver has the same name as the Canadian City, which is located approximately 491 km north in British Columbia. The city of Vancouver, Washington, was incorporated during 1857, and the city of Vancouver, British Columbia was incorporated 29 later. The American city is the former location of the historic Fort Vancouver trading post. Because of frequent confusion between the two cities, officials of Vancouver have recommended changing the name back to Fort Vancouver. Other recommendations include calling it Vancouver USA, or Old Vancouver, because of the fact that the U.S. city was incorporated first. Many Pacific Northwest people refer to their city as "Vancouver, Washington," or "Vancouver USA." Local nicknames consist of "Vantucky" and "The 'Couve".
The original inhabitants of the region were the Chinook peoples, who ran a salmon and trade-based economy. The Hudson's Bay Company moved into the area to engage in the trade of timbers and furs. Inhabitants established agriculture within the region, and ultimately a healthy market in prunes, apples and strawberries developed. The town depended on ferry transportation since it was bypassed by the railroad during the latter part of the 1800s. The city developed around Washington Street where ferries arrived. Early developments included a large spruce mill. By 1908 a railroad swing bridge was built across the Columbia. This allowed the development of the Standifer Shipyard, which prospered during WWI. During the 1940s, the construction of the Interstate bridge and the Bonneville Dam helped spark an industrial boom, including a shipyard and paper mill.
Heavy industry declined within the area when logging had depleted the old growth forests and high tech companies and service businesses started to became important sources of work in Vancouver. The city is the home of The Holland and Nautilius, Inc. Many folks prefer to live in the city and commute to Portland for work. Proximity to Portland City makes Vancouver a desirable community for retirees, who also like the fact that there is no state income tax in the state of Washington. Downtown Vancouver has numerous small, independent businesses.
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