The York Factory River
The York Factory River? As far as I can tell, it is the lower Hayes River where it flows past York Factory into Hudson Bay. It’s a good name for…
Read moreGeorge Traill Allan
In 1841, George Traill Allan took out the York Factory Express to Hudson Bay, ten years after he had come into the territory in the 1831 Columbia Express. He is…
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 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…
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