Salmon Processing at Fort George and elsewhere in the HBC
James Birnie continued his work at Fort George, and part of his work at that place was overseeing the processing of the salmon that they caught in the Columbia River,…
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 moreJohn Kirk Townsend
John Kirk Townsend was a naturalist who trekked west to the Columbia River, travelling in with Nathaniel Wyeth’s 1834 expedition. He spent two years in the Columbia district before traveling…
Read moreBirnie and the Missionaries
It seems that James Birnie was the first HBC man to greet the many missionaries who arrived at the mouth of the Columbia River. I have many stories in my…
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…
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