Descending the Columbia River
I thought that for this series on the Columbia River, I might be able to access and read Samuel Black’s journal of his descent of the river in 1825. He…
Read moreHappy New Year
We have learned from my last post that Christmas Day in the HBC fur trade tended to be quiet and restful, with little trouble from anyone. So let’s see what…
Read moreMerry Christmas
It is Christmas Day at the end of this week, and for the fun of it I am reporting on as many fur trade Christmases as I can find. We…
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 Colvile farm
J. Orin Oliphant wrote an excellent article on “Old Fort Colville [Colvile]”, and I am again dipping into it to discover what farm animals were to be found there over…
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