Samuel Black
Samuel Black was the oddest of all the HBC men. Black, born in 1780, was a young highlander of enormous size when he came to Canada and joined the fur…
Read moreThe S.S.Beaver sails to the Columbia River
In 1836, the S.S. Beaver sails east from the Sandwich Islands to the mouth of the Columbia River and, eventually, Fort Vancouver, the HBC headquarters on the Pacific Slopes. Here…
Read moreNorway House fire
I am proofing my York Factory Express manuscript, which is an interesting process. It is a chance to catch errors, and I found one. This is what I said in…
Read moreFort Colvile farm
My book, The HBC Brigades: Culture, Conflict, and Perilous Journeys of the Fur Trade, was published by Ronsdale Press in July, 2024. You may order the book through your local…
Read moreThe men in the 1826 York Factory Express
Many of the men who travelled in the York Factory Express worked west of the Rocky Mountains for many years — some worked here for just a year or so.…
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