Those who take our public treasures for granted may be surprised to know that these places of beauty and history are potential gold mines for Clark County’s economic growth.
Such places include Fort Vancouver, Pearson Air Museum, Officers Row and the Vancouver Barracks in Vancouver, as well as other museums, heritage sites, parks and wildlife refuges throughout the county. These public assets preserve our natural resources and tell the story of westward expansion and international rivalry.
In my view, we could compete with and exceed visitor magnet cities such as Victoria, B.C., Alexandria and Williamsburg in Virginia, and other well-known sites.
But unlike visitors to those special areas, our visitors often quietly tour our fort, museums and parks, spending little money before moving on. For example, last year more than 11,000 students and their chaperones from Washington and Oregon visited Fort Vancouver. But few purchased anything — they bring their own food and few mementoes are available for purchase. And while the Fort offers numerous summer activities, during much of the year it offers little memorable excitement to delight the senses of its visitors.
Having lived in both Victoria and Alexandria at different times, I relish the memories of the sound of bagpipes or bluegrass music, the clip-clop of horses, and the taste of delicious ice cream from one of the three ice cream shops within one block on King Street in Alexandria. The streets in that city are always filled with people strolling and shopping. Among the attractions is a former torpedo factory converted into an artist workshop, with artists visible through glass walls as they work on their projects. Outside, mimes, musicians, jugglers or a man making balloon toys made bench-sitting and drink-sipping a pleasure. Everyone smiled there — it was rare to ever see a frowning face. It was a dynamic business environment — fun is good for business.
While Alexandria is larger and more affluent than Vancouver and adjacent to the nation’s capital, we can have our own smaller version of this scene here in Clark County. The question is, are we ready to take the next step to explore our public assets to create a business climate that encourages innovation, fun and job growth?
We have the foundation to take that next step. Our three major selling points for economic growth and quality of life for the region are our location, our people and our public assets. Let’s look at each segment to combine them and find the gold mine in our future.
• Our location and social structure: Our location is top-notch — even the British knew this 200 years ago. Our Clark County infrastructure already has the necessary components for a vibrant economy. We have it all. We are strategically located with connections in all directions. Rail, sea, air and land routes are modern and convenient. We have progressive and competent administrators and elected stewards at our cities, ports, state and federal offices. Our educational institutions are exemplary in teaching the basic foundations, and we have the technical skills needed for our high-tech manufacturing base and administrative infrastructure core. Our promotional package for attracting new businesses — economic development — is real and impressive.
But our location is only a beginning. We also have:
• Our people: We have can-do attitudes and resilience. Many have the type of independent streak every entrepreneur needs. As industry structure changes by reducing full-time employment, many among us are rethinking employee loyalty. “Re-skilling” has become the catch-phrase for older employees who were laid off due to downsizing or when mechanization marginalized their livelihoods. In Clark County, we have a large base of potential “micropreneurs,” both in older workers and younger generations eager to branch out to increase their personal work options. But Clark County’s greatest treasure is:
• Our public assets: We have these in abundance. The 366-acre Fort Vancouver National Site, managed in part by the National Park Service and the Fort Vancouver National Trust, is the very heart of the county’s history and sense of identity. A broad range of programs and activities are held there throughout the year, peaking during the summer season. Examples are the Independence Day event that attracts about 30,000 attendees; the Marshall Lecture series; the Concours d’Elegance car show; Pearson Field education programs; and many interpretive activities. But regular activities for occasional visitors are scarce.
The fort and other public assets, while used and appreciated, are yet to be fully explored and shared. They can be meccas for sustainable year-round entrepreneurial activities.
Put on your entrepreneurial hat and see a small portion of our public wealth. By foot, bike or car, navigate a 25-mile stretch along the Columbia River from Vancouver to the eastern edge of Washougal. Our history of racial and ethnic integration can be celebrated as a start of our 25-mile scan of our public assets. We can appreciate our Vancouver as a model of multiculturalism. It grew from a minuscule trading post in the early 1800s to house the Hudson’s Bay distribution center for the Pacific Northwest.
Starting at the restored Hudson’s Bay Fort and the Pearson Air Museum, we enter the former U.S. military grounds of Officers Row. From there, trails and roads lead to interpretive walks and along the Columbia River, past city, county and state parks and a fish hatchery. Then, on to Camas, the site of the paper mill built to produce newsprint for The Oregonian in the late 1800s.
At the Parkersville memorial site now shared with the Port of Camas-Washougal, we learn about pioneer entrepreneurs that served the transportation — shipping — center for the region. Two miles upriver, we enter Washougal, where pioneers settled to raise crops and children, helping to establish a legitimate base for U.S. control of the region. The Two Rivers Museum still celebrates the marriage of a Scottish seaman to princess White Wing of the extended Chinook tribe.
A tour of the Pendleton Woolen Mills run by the Bishop family for more-than 100 years gives on overview of the textile industry. Pendleton Mills is famous for its Native American-inspired blankets and sustainable business strategies that keep a secure workforce in the area. The mill continues to operate there and supports local access on its waterfront property to the river walk, which stretches more than three miles along the Columbia River, past the Lewis and Clark campsite, before merging with the 1,000-plus acres of the Steigerwald Lake Wildlife Refuge at the edge of Skamania County and at the entrance to the Columbia River Gorge.
Now, to create a business model for economic growth, we have an overview of our location, entrepreneurial people and public assets to find the opportunities. Four areas should be considered. They are: refreshments, atmosphere/entertainment, transportation and souvenirs. All four are critical missing links and can be offered as mobile microbusinesses with low capital outlay.
To make these small support businesses possible will require a receptive openness regarding licensing for these mobile entrepreneurs. Licensing requirements should avoid protectionist rulings and instead consider the social and commercial value these operations bring.
• Refreshments: Wilted people make poor customers. We are not customer-friendly when it comes to refreshments on-the-go. It’s hard to find a refreshing drink or snack on or near public parks or museums in Clark County.
Neither the Fort nor Pearson Air Museum offers drinks or snacks. Some drinks are available a 10-minute walk away at the Information Center on Officers Row and in what is called an Express Store tucked away and hard to find among the imposing buildings. A modest selection of bottled drinks and some sweets are available at both places.
School buses carry as many as 50 to 60 children and adults who buy little and bring their own food. The historic Grant House on Officers Row is the only restaurant within easy walking distance to the Fort. At the Parkersville heritage site in Washougal, the Puffin, a floating Jamaican-themed restaurant, is the only restaurant within walking distance.
Refreshment carts are needed to offer hot or cold drinks, ice cream, pretzels or hot dogs. These mobile carts rarely compete with full restaurants. Licensing decisions should consider the cart location so that carts do not serve the same areas while other areas have no service. Another option would be to have restaurants with walk-up windows for take-out food.
• Atmosphere/entertainment: Costumed entertainers add whimsy and fun to a scene. Whether it is a mime, a person dressed in period dress or a cartoon character, all add an element of surprise and anticipation for fun. Detailed signage on buildings and “photo opportunity” spots are a nice addition. Musicians, bands or taped marching music could be played at specific times at Officers Row. Like clockwork. While the Fort Vancouver Trust provides numerous activities during the summer, many more are needed over a longer season.
• Casual transportation: There are no touring buses or passenger bicycles or horse and carriages to move people around for sightseeing. Personal vehicles or school buses bring the majority of the people to the Fort compound. Local people walk or run, with few tourists walking from one museum compound to the next. Instead, the likely mode of transportation is by private vehicle — from parking lot to parking lot. Mini sightseeing tours are a big hit in other areas and should be considered here as well.
• Souvenirs: Tourists buy souvenirs to bring back to loved ones at home. Some cultures are big on bringing gifts home. There are few souvenirs available for sale that appeal to children or teens. The Information Center has a good selection of books, shirts and stuffed toys but little of the fun “kitschy” stuff that young children and teens like to bring home from a trip. Souvenirs should be less than $5 for young people to buy.
Bathrooms are life’s necessities, and more critically so when bringing children. Although there are bathrooms at or near all public parks and buildings, the National Park Service bathrooms close at 5 p.m. — long before the public is ready to go home in the summer. Other options are to go to restaurants ,which may not allow non-customers the use of bathrooms. To accommodate large crowds of visitors/customers, bathrooms must be available after 5 p.m. in the summer.
There are great opportunities in our future. Now it’s time as a community to plan and implement these tools for economic growth.
Lucia Worthington studied entrepreneurship and innovation with Peter F. Drucker at Claremont Graduate University. She has been a business innovator and owner, and she teaches business courses at Clark College.
