Brandon House facts for kids
Brandon House was an important trading post for the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) between 1793 and 1824. It was located in several spots along the Assiniboine River in what is now Manitoba, Canada. These locations were near the modern city of Brandon, Manitoba and the mouth of the Souris River. Because it was close to the Souris River, Brandon House was a key place for trading with the Mandan people, who lived in what is now North Dakota.
The history of Brandon House is a bit tricky because it moved four times. Also, other fur trading forts were built nearby by rival companies. Before 1793, some independent traders were in the area. A small trading post might have been set up in 1793 by Ronald Cameron, who worked for Peter Grant.
Contents
History of Brandon House
Early Fur Trade Competition
In the late 1700s, two big fur trading companies were rivals in Canada. These were the North West Company (NWC) and the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). The NWC arrived first in the Brandon House area in 1793. The HBC followed very quickly. Another company, the XY Company, also had a post there from 1798 to 1804.
North West Company's Fort Assiniboine
In 1793, Cuthbert Grant Sr. and John MacDonnell of the NWC built the first Fort Assiniboine. This fort was not the same as another Fort Assiniboine on the Athabasca River. From the very beginning, they traded buffalo robes with the Mandan villages. These villages were located on the upper Missouri River.
In 1797, the famous explorer David Thompson (explorer) visited the area. He was on his way to map the Mandan villages. In 1804, the NWC took over the XY Company. Fort Assiniboine then moved across the river to where the XY Company's Fort La Souris was. In 1806, another explorer, Alexander Henry the younger, passed through. The person in charge was François-Antoine Larocque, who later explored the Yellowstone River. In 1807, the fort was taken apart and its pieces were floated downriver to Fort des Épinettes.
Hudson's Bay Company's Brandon House
Also in 1793, Donald McKay and John Sutherland of the Hudson's Bay Company built Brandon House. It was only about 100 yards away from the new NWC post. Supplies for Brandon House came all the way from Fort Albany, Ontario, on James Bay. McKay was known as "le malin" (the cunning one). He even shot at Joseph Augé, who ran the NWC post nearby.
From 1795, the HBC traders at Brandon House also traded with the Mandans. They usually made two trips a year, in October and January. They used dog sleds or horses. They would follow the Souris River as far as Minot, North Dakota. Then they would head southwest across the open prairie. The Assiniboine people sometimes tried to stop this trade. A few traders were even killed.
In 1796, John Evans (explorer) reached the Mandan country from near Saint Louis. Brandon House seems to be the first HBC post to hear about the Lewis and Clark Expedition. In 1809, Manuel Lisa's group arrived on the upper Missouri River. By 1812, the fur trade in that area was left to the Americans. In 1806-1807, there were 53 men working at Brandon House.
XY Company and Other Posts
In 1798, the XY Company built Fort La Souris. It was on the opposite (south) bank of the river. When the NWC absorbed the XY Company in 1804, Fort Assiniboine moved to the Fort La Souris site. In 1801, the NWC also built a small post about half a mile upstream.
Brandon House Moves and Challenges
The HBC built a new Brandon House in May 1811. This one was on the south side of the river, six miles above the Souris River's mouth. Peter Fidler was in charge of this post from 1811 to 1819.
In May 1816, during a time called the Pemmican War, Cuthbert Grant and his men attacked. Pemmican was a very important food made from dried meat, fat, and berries. It was vital for fur traders. Grant's men seized a load of pemmican coming from Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan. Then they attacked Brandon House and took their stolen goods across the river to Fort La Souris. The next year, a fire almost completely destroyed Brandon House. But Peter Fidler started rebuilding it in 1817.
By 1821, a cart trail was used north of the river. This trail was better than using canoes for transport. When the two big companies, the HBC and NWC, merged in 1821, Brandon House moved again. It moved across the river to the Fort La Souris site. In 1824, Brandon House was closed. This was part of George Simpson (administrator)'s plan to combine and close some trading posts.
Later Fort La Souris and Final Closure
In 1811, the NWC closed Fort des Épinettes. They then built a second Fort La Souris only 200 yards from the second Brandon House. In June 1814, during the Pemmican Wars, Miles Macdonell sent men from the Red River Colony. They seized about thirty tons of pemmican and other food at Fort La Souris. Some of it went to Brandon House, but most was sent downriver to the Red River settlements. When the two companies merged in 1821, Brandon House moved to the Fort La Souris site.
Brandon House was opened again in 1828. This was to stop Indigenous people from taking their trade to Pembina, North Dakota. The new site was 12 miles upriver. This was because there were no longer enough trees for building at the old site. It closed again because there were not many animals left to trap. Also, there was fear of attacks by the Gros Ventres. Fort Ellice took its place.
Where Was It?
The exact locations of these old trading posts are not fully known. The first Brandon House was on the north bank of the Assiniboine River. It was about two miles above the mouth of the Souris River. It was also on the Yellow Quill Trail. One possible location for the first Brandon House is at 49°40′25″N 99°37′45″W / 49.67361°N 99.62917°W.
The second Brandon House was six miles upriver from the Souris River. It was on the west bank. The NWC post was on a high bank across the river. One possible location for the second Brandon House is at 49°42′19″N 99°40′09″W / 49.70528°N 99.66917°W.
The third location is about 15 kilometers northeast of the first one. It is probably near a stone monument built in 1928. This location is at 49°46′42″N 99°44′46″W / 49.77833°N 99.74611°W.
