Editing Battle Ground, Washington (section)

==History==
===Name===
Battle Ground got its name from a standoff between a group of the [[Klickitat people|Klickitat]] peoples and a military force from the [[Vancouver Barracks]], which had recently transitioned to a [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] post.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/fova/learn/historyculture/upload/Deur-2012_Ethno-Overview-Ft-Vanc-FNL.pdf|title=An Ethnohistorical Overview of Groups with Ties to Fort Vancouver National Historic Site|last=Deur|first=Douglas|date=2012|website=National Park Service|access-date=December 9, 2017|archive-date=May 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531052845/https://www.nps.gov/fova/learn/historyculture/upload/Deur-2012_Ethno-Overview-Ft-Vanc-FNL.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.vbma.us/|title=Vancouver Barracks Military Association|website=Vancouver Barracks Military Association|access-date=December 9, 2017|archive-date=February 20, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180220112425/http://www.vbma.us/|url-status=live}}</ref> By 1855, members of the Klickitat peoples had been imprisoned at the Vancouver Barracks. The hostile conditions of their detainment inspired some of the Klickitats to decamp.<ref name=":0" />

This group of Klickitat peoples headed north, led by Chief Umtuch (or Umtux, according to some accounts).<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.clark.wa.gov/public-information-outreach/battle-ground-city-without-battle-1855|title=Proud Past: Battle Ground: City Without a Battle (1855)|date=2017|website=Clark County Washington|access-date=December 9, 2017|archive-date=December 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210020107/https://www.clark.wa.gov/public-information-outreach/battle-ground-city-without-battle-1855|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://archive.org/stream/cathlametoncolum01stro#page/86/mode/2up|title=Cathlamet on the Columbia|last=Strong|first=Thomas Nelson|publisher=The Holy Press|year=1906|pages=82–93}}</ref> When the community at [[Fort Vancouver]] discovered this escape, they assembled an armed contingent led by Captain [[William Strong (Oregon judge)|William Strong]] to pursue the Klickitats. Captain Strong's party eventually found the Klickitats near the present-day location of downtown Battle Ground.<ref name=":1" />

Details of the standoff vary. However, accounts agree that Chief Umtuch and Captain Strong engaged in some sort of negotiations, which resulted in the Klickitats agreeing to return to the Barracks. After this decision, at least one shot was fired, resulting in the death of Chief Umtuch, reportedly by one of Captain Strong's soldiers..<ref name=":1" />

The Klickitat asked Captain Strong to leave them alone so they might properly bury their chief. After some deliberation, Captain Strong agreed, provided the Klickitats promised to return to the Fort, which they did a couple of days later.<ref name=":1" />

As a result of this event, settlers at the fort began to refer to that site as 'Strong's Battle Ground', which was later shortened to 'Battle Ground.' Two schools in Battle Ground were later named after Captain Strong and Chief Umtuch.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chief Umtuch Middle School |url=https://cms.battlegroundps.org/ |website=Chief Umtuch Middle School |access-date=October 16, 2019 |archive-date=October 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191016163734/https://cms.battlegroundps.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Early settlement===
Battle Ground was first settled in 1886 by Augustus H. Richter, who platted the town in 1902.<ref>{{cite book|last=Meany|first=Edmond S.|title=Origin of Washington geographic names|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015027074981;view=1up;seq=31|year=1923|publisher=University of Washington Press|location=Seattle|page=15|access-date=July 18, 2016|archive-date=January 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124072536/https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015027074981&view=1up&seq=31|url-status=live}}</ref> Battle Ground was officially incorporated on June 18, 1951. During early settlement in the area, large numbers of people populated Fort Vancouver and locations closer to the Columbia River.

===Later development===
The population of Battle Ground doubled in size between 2000 and 2010, becoming the second-largest city in Clark County. The city opened a [[community center]] in 2008 and a new [[public library]] in 2009.<ref name="Columbian-2011"/>