Fort Pitt
Fort Pitt was a provisioning post, constructed in 1829-31, 217 miles downriver from Edmonton House. Before this post was built, the men of the outgoing Saskatchewan Brigades (which included…
Read moreA Look-Back at James Birnie’s life
So, in 1846, James Birnie retired, a disappointed man, after 28 years of working in the fur trade of the North West Company and the Hudson’s Bay Company. How did…
Read moreFort Taku
Fort Durham, also called Fort Taku, was built by the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1840, on what is called Taku Harbour, in Juneau, Alaska. It only stood for three…
Read moreJames Birnie Retires
James Birnie was a big man; a broad-shouldered and deep-chested man who stood six feet tall, according to Irene Martin, who wrote the book Beach of Heaven. He spoke in…
Read more1858 Brigade Trails
It is interesting to see how the packers who followed the HBC trails into the upper district travelled up and down what they called “the Old Brigade Trail” to…
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