Vancouver, Washington

1825Fort Vancouver Established: The Hudson's Bay Company built Fort Vancouver as its Pacific Northwest headquarters, making it the first major European settlement in Washington.

1849U.S. Army Post: The U.S. Army established Vancouver Barracks, which became one of the oldest military installations in the West.

1942Kaiser Shipyards: Henry Kaiser's shipyards employed over 38,000 workers building cargo ships for WWII, transforming Vancouver into an industrial powerhouse overnight.

1980Mt. St. Helens Erupts: The eruption of Mt. St. Helens 50 miles north blanketed Vancouver in ash and changed the region's landscape.

2010Portland Suburb Boom: Vancouver became one of the fastest-growing cities in the Pacific Northwest as workers took advantage of no state income tax while working in Oregon.