John Cole
John Cole: Who the heck is he? John Cole was never employed in the fur trade West of the Rocky Mountains — and yet he played a role in its…
Read moreJohn Lee Lewes, the fop of the fur trade
In 1848, Alexander Caulfield Anderson left Fort Alexandria forever, and took over the supervision of Fort Colvile, on the Columbia River just south of the 49th parallel. The man in…
Read moreNative Bridges in the Fraser Canyon
At Fort Alexandria, the first days of April 1847 came in pleasant and warm, though snow still lay on the ground. On April 23, Montrose McGillivray arrived at the fort…
Read moreFabulous Sam Black
I know I have used the word “fabulous” before when I describe a fur trader. But some are fabulously interesting, and Chief Trader Sam Black is certainly a member of…
Read moreBlackeye, and Blackeye’s Son: Who are They?
In Alexander Caulfield Anderson’s 1846 journal, we come across the Similkameen Native man named Blackeye. This is what Anderson wrote of him [it has been edited for length]: Saty 6th…
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