James Lowe’s 1853 tour
James Lowe was the younger brother of Thomas Lowe, who in 1849 retired from the Hudson’s Bay Company at Fort Vancouver, and established himself as a store-keeper in Oregon Territory…
Read moreRose Birnie
Rose Birnie was James Birnie’s younger sister. She lived most of her life in Aberdeen, Scotland, but joined her brother at Cathlamet, Washington Territory, to act as teacher for his…
Read moreRobert Clouston
Chief Trader Robert Clouston wrote pithy letters that were informative and interesting: they are a delight to read, and they also give someone like me a picture of life in…
Read moreDonald Manson’s Retirement
Donald Manson was born in 1800, in Scotland, and worked for the Hudson’s Bay Company until 1857, when he retired. This is what Bruce Watson says of him in his…
Read moreBuilding Fort Shepherd
In this April 1856 letter to Angus McDonald of Fort Colvile, James Douglas described the HBC buildings that were to be erected at the new Fort Shepherd, on the Columbia…
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