National Park Service archaeologist Doug Wilson will discuss how the 1800s fur trade affected local waterways in a presentation at 7:15 p.m. Thursday, March 20, at the Old Liberty Theater, 113 N. Main Ave., Ridgefield.
Wilson, archaeologist at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, will explore the relationship between the Hudson's Bay Company and the waterways in and around what's now the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge.
He will discuss how the Columbia River system was used to continue established trade routes of indigenous peoples; how the fur trade altered relationships among people in the region; and how the Hudson's Bay Company's introduction of logging, agriculture, shipping and other aspects of the industrial age forever changed the landscape of the Pacific Northwest.
The program is part of the 2014 natural history series presented by Friends of Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Cost is $10 for Friends members, and $15 for nonmembers. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.