|
VOYAGEURS & COURS-DE-BOIS
One of the highest concentrations of fur trade activity in the Peace River region from the 18th to the 20th centuries can be found at the Forks of the Peace and Smoky Rivers, just south of the Town of Peace River. This location was of value to fur trade companies and their aboriginal trading partners as a natural gathering point where two major rivers and fur trade routes meet. In addition, a number of other smaller rivers and streams flow into the Peace River near the Forks.
The earliest posts near the Forks were Fort Fork (1792) and perhaps Fort MacLeod which dated to the early 1790s. In addition to these North West Company [NWC] posts at least one XY Company post (1803) was built. These early posts were followed by a series of posts, Fort St. Mary’s I to III, which were placed in the area by the Hudson’s Bay Company during its direct competition with the NWC during its “Athabasca Campaign”, 1818-21. These early posts, with the exception of Fort St. Mary’s III and a NWC post placed beside it, were located on both sides of the Peace River, just south of the Forks.
After the merger of the HBC and the NWC in 1821 the area of the Forks was without posts as the HBC moved all of its operations to Fort Dunvegan. It was not until the 1870s that the fur trade retuned to the area in the form of posts, beginning with a HBC post at the Forks. In 1898 the HBC built a post warehouse and dock on the banks of the Peace River in the new community of Peace River Crossing. This post was challenged first by Bredin & Cornwall and later Revillon Frères.
The viewing point, “Sagitawa Lookout”, is named after a Cree term which means “where the rivers meet”.
BASIC INFO
GeoTourism Canada Site #: GS37
Site Ownership: Sunrise County
Opened: n/a
Closed: n/a
Operated by: n/a
Site Size: 1/2 hectare
Further Reading:
Peace River Remembers.
J.G. MacGregor. Land of Twelve Foot Davis
PUBLIC ACCESS
Access: The public has access to the site
Hours:
After Hour Availability:
Admission:
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
CREDITS
Author: Dallas Wood
Date: 2007
|
