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THE HBC BRIGADES: CULTURE, CONFLICT, & PERILOUS JOURNEYS
From the banks of the North River [North Thompson R], the men of the HBC Brigades ride south down the rugged east bank of the river to their next pause at the post of #Kamloops. It is a short section of their route, but not necessarily an easy leg. #Journeys #TheHBCBrigades #WestOfTheMountains https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/brigade-five/

A painting of the Kamloops post from the hills south of the fort, drawn in 1849.

THREE JOURNEYS NORTH TO THE ARCTIC SEA:
It is clear from his private journals that Robert Campbell, of Fort Selkirk, fell in love with the Yukon and its people, and the magnificent rivers he found in this new territory. #Yukon #Journeys #ThreeJourneysNorth #WestOfTheMountains https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/yukon-river/

The shallow flatbottom boats that some men might have used on the Yukon River.

THE YORK FACTORY EXPRESS: FORT VANCOUVER TO HUDSON BAY, 1826-1849
Birchbark canoes were occasionally used on some legs of the long journey between the two HBC posts, Fort Vancouver and York Factory. However, their bark was fragile and they were easily damaged, and were not the best boats for the work they had to do. #Journeys #YorkFactoryExpress https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/birchbark-canoes/

A birchbark canoe on a Canadian River, with the bowman and steersman guiding the canoe and the middlemen paddling the canoe forward.

THE HBC BRIGADES: CULTURE, CONFLICT, & PERILOUS JOURNEYS
In 1828, Governor Simpson toured the district west of the Mountains, making his way from Fort Alexandria, on the Fraser River, east to the big hill that took them down to the banks of the North River, following the Brigade trails to #Kamloops and beyond. #Journeys #TheHBCBrigades #WestOfTheMountains https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/two-canoes-twenty-five/

A ripple in the water of a smooth river that flows between rocky and tree bound banks toward the rounded hills in the distance.

THE YORK FACTORY EXPRESS: FORT VANCOUVER TO HUDSON BAY, 1826-1849
In 1823--three years before the York Factory Express was created--John Work and Peter Skene Ogden continued their journey up the Athabasca River from Fort Assiniboine to #Jasper's House, following the traditional trail into the territory west of the Rocky Mountains. #YorkFactoryExpress #Journeys #HBCHistory https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/two-canoes-sixteen/

A view from the Athabasca River of the Rocky Mountains that the York Factory Express men must cross to reach home.

THE HBC BRIGADES: CULTURE, CONFLICT, & PERILOUS JOURNEYS
From Drowned Horse Lake (where a number of horses fell through the ice on a lake in the 1830s), the men of the HBC Brigades made their way east, crossing the Mountain and making their way down the big hill to the North River at #LittleFort #WestOfTheMountains #Journeys #TheHBCBrigades https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/brigade-four/

A blue blue lake nestles between grasslands and trees and the high rounded hills in the distance.

THREE JOURNEYS NORTH TO THE ARCTIC SEA:
In 1847, HBC trader Alexander Hunter Murray built Fort Yukon, on the #Yukon River near the junction of the Porcupine, and just inside the boundaries of what was then Russian territory. The First Nations of the territory welcomed the HBC men to their home territory. #Journeys #ThreeJourneysNorth #HBCHistory https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/fort-yukon/

A flatbottomed boat of the type that might be used on the rivers in the Yukon.

THE YORK FACTORY EXPRESS: FORT VANCOUVER TO HUDSON BAY, 1826-1849
In 1823, John Work and Peter Skene Ogden made their way up the Athabasca River toward the Rocky Mountains, following a path that would lead them to Fort Assiniboine, which was just being constructed. The York Factory Express did not yet exist, but this river route was an early version of it. #Journeys #YorkFactoryExpress #HBCHistory https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/two-canoes-twelve/

A demonstration of the power of the flintlock guns the HBC men used, attended by plenty of noise and smoke.

THE HBC BRIGADES: CULTURE, CONFLICT, & PERILOUS JOURNEYS
From Drowned Horse Lake, the men of the HBC Brigades followed their trails east, travelling over the "Mountain" to the place where they crossed the North Thompson River. But I never understood why they called it the Mountain, until... #Journeys #TheHBCBrigades #WestOfTheMountains https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/mountain/

Beautiful blue lakes lie in the midst of grasslands at a place where the rounded hills in the distance are clearly visible.

THE YORK FACTORY EXPRESS: FORT VANCOUVER TO HUDSON BAY, 1826-1849
Tiny Fort Assiniboine stood on the banks of the Athabasca River, at a place where the river dipped south toward #Edmonton House, on the North #Saskatchewan River. John Work first described this place as it was being built in 1823. #Journeys #YorkFactoryExpress #HBCHistory https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/fort-assiniboine/

Historic post and sill building of the HBC trade, whitewashed and shingle roofed. This is the old storehouse at replica Fort Langley.

THE HBC BRIGADES: CULTURE, CONFLICT, & PERILOUS JOURNEYS
From Fort Alexandria, on the Fraser River south of #Quesnel, the men of the HBC Brigades made their way east and south through beautiful grasslands to Drowned Horse Lake, where in the 1820s a herd of horses fell through the ice. #Journeys #TheHBCBrigades #WestOfTheMountains https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/brigade-three/

An old map shows the route of the brigade trail and it ran east past Lac la Hache to Horse Lake.

THE YORK FACTORY EXPRESS: FORT VANCOUVER TO HUDSON BAY, 1826-1849
The artist Paul Kane, who is travelling west with the incoming York Factory Express, leaves #Edmonton House on his way to the Athabasca River, over a muddy horse trail that will lead the expressmen to Fort Assiniboine. #Journeys #YorkFactoryExpress #HBCHistory https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/paul-kane-5/

A flatbottomed boat such as was used on the Athabasca River in the days of the Klondike goldrush.

THE HBC BRIGADES: CULTURE, CONFLICT, & PERILOUS JOURNEYS
The dairy fields outside Williams Lake was an old dairy farm, of course, but before the settlers came these meadows were the home of the First Nations people, the missionaries, and the HBC men. The brigade trails ran through this piece of land. #TheHBCBrigades #Journeys #WestOfTheMountains https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/dairy-fields/

Long grass surrounds the road that leads viewers down into the Dairy Fields. In the distance, the Fraser River.

THE YORK FACTORY EXPRESS: FORT VANCOUVER TO HUDSON BAY, 1826-1849
George Barnston joined the HBC in 1826 and travelled across the continent from York Factory to Fort Vancouver with the incoming York Factory Express of 1826. He worked at Fort Nez Perces #WallaWalla and at Fort Langley, on the lower Fraser River. #Journeys #YorkFactoryExpress #HBCHistory https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/george-barnston/

Men on horseback leading packhorses through the wilderness north of Edmonton House.

THE HBC BRIGADES: CULTURE, CONFLICT, & PERILOUS JOURNEYS
In 1828, Governor George Simpson and his party of men make their way from the HBC's northern headquarters of #FortStJames, to the banks of the Fraser River near Fort George #PrinceGeorge. #Journeys #WestOfTheMountains https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/two-canoes-twenty-three/

The wide, brown Fraser River runs between tree covered river banks to the ocean.

THREE JOURNEYS NORTH TO THE ARCTIC SEA:
In 1847, an infestation of measles and dysentery spread through the Columbia district, killing thousands of Indigenous people and travelling with white men as far north as the Northwest coast and #Yukon #ThreeJourneysNorth #Journeys https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/measles-and-dysentery/

A small HBC post surrounded by palisades and with blockhouses on every corner.

THE YORK FACTORY EXPRESS: FORT VANCOUVER TO HUDSON BAY, 1826-1849
The muddy horse trail that was called the Athabasca Portage led the men of the incoming York Factory Express north from #Edmonton House to Fort Assiniboine, on the Athabasca River. #Journeys #YorkFactoryExpress #HBCHistory https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/athabasca-portage/

Men on horseback herd loaded packhorses through the hills and streams of the wilderness.

THE HBC BRIGADES: CULTURE, CONFLICT, & PERILOUS JOURNEYS
The outgoing HBC Brigades made their way downriver, from Fort George #PrinceGeorge to Fort Alexandria, where they left their boats and took to horseback for the rest of the way to #Kamloops. #Journeys #TheHBCBrigades #WestOfTheMountains https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/brigade-two/

An old map shows the route of the river as the boats come into Fort Alexandria, an HBC post on the Fraser River.

THE YORK FACTORY EXPRESS: FORT VANCOUVER TO HUDSON BAY, 1826-1849
Edmonton House was built in 1795 on the north banks of the North #Saskatchewan River, but it moved many times over the years, as they burned through the forests that surrounded them. In its current position, #Edmonton was as far west as the York Boats could travel in the fall. #YorkFactoryExpress #Journeys #HBCHistory https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/edmonton-house/

A line of furs hanging from the rafters of the old storehouse at replica Fort Langley.

THE HBC BRIGADES: CULTURE, CONFLICT & PERILOUS JOURNEYS
In 1826, the first of the outgoing HBC Brigades left #FortStJames on their way out of the territory, heading for Fort #Vancouver #WA Here is some background and an introduction to the first of these many brigades. #Journeys #TheHBCBrigades #WestOfTheMountains https://nancymargueriteanderson.com/brigade-one/

#Journeys

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