The Hudson’s Bay Company established Fort Nisqually in 1833 to expand fur trading operations in the Pacific Northwest. The first globally connected settlement on Puget Sound, the fort facilitated economic and social interactions between European fur-traders and farmers, and Indigenous peoples.

Today, Fort Nisqually Living History Museum represents 90 years’ worth of experiential learning, interpretation, and historic preservation. This exhibit is the story of how community saved Fort Nisqually.

The women of Fort Nisqually played an important role in the daily activities of the fort. Nearly all of them were métis, originating from the Latin verb miscēre meaning “to mix”, and had both Native American and Euro-American heritage. It was common for métis women to marry within the fur trade — marrying European employees or their métis sons. These women labored for their families and for the Company. Some planted potatoes, washed laundry, and cleaned wool. Others hosted visiting dignitaries.

This exhibit explores the heritage and lives of these women at this early-mid 19th century settlement on the Puget Sound.