Fire Bag
The fire bag was an important piece of equipment to the Canadien voyageur, and to anyone else who travelled in the wilderness. Why? you might ask. Here is the answer,…
Read moreJoachim Lafleur
Joachim Lafleur worked at Fort Okanogan in the 1840’s, when Alexander Caulfield Anderson was in charge of Fort Colvile. I just wrote a tweet that mentioned Lafleur, and that reminded…
Read moreMurder at Pillar Rock
James Birnie played a role in the punishment of the murderers of the HBC fisherman at Pillar Rock in August 1840. This is the story that I promised you a…
Read moreShipwrecks on the Columbia River
The mouth of the Columbia River was crisscrossed with dangerous sandbars, and shipwrecks were relatively common. On many occasions, James Birnie was there to help in the rescue of the…
Read moreFlood at Fort Norman
In 1852, Chief Trader James Anderson (A), who was then in charge of the Athabasca District, made a journey from the district’s headquarters of Fort Simpson, down the Mackenzie River…
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