Fort Lac la Pluie facts for kids

Fort Lac la Pluie was an important place for the fur trade in North America. It was built by the North West Company sometime between 1775 and 1787. This fort was located on a high bank on the west side of what is now Fort Frances, Ontario. It was right across the Rainy River from International Falls, Minnesota. The river here flows out of Rainy Lake, and the fort was just west of some rapids. Before this fort, an older French post called Fort Saint Pierre (built in 1731) was located upstream at the lake's outlet. Today, a granite boulder marks the spot where Fort Lac la Pluie once stood.

What Was a Fur Trade Depot?

Fort Lac la Pluie was not just a regular trading post where people traded furs every day. It was a special kind of place called a depot. A depot served two main purposes for the fur trade.

A Meeting Point for Traders

By the late 1700s, the fur trade had reached far into places like the Lake Athabasca country, which was very far from Montreal. It was too far for traders to travel from Montreal, collect furs, and return all in one season.

So, every May, when the ice on the rivers and lakes melted, boats full of trade goods would leave Montreal and head west. At the same time, "winterers" (fur traders who had spent the winter collecting furs) would travel east in canoes loaded with furs. They would meet at a big gathering place called Grand Portage on Lake Superior. Here, they would exchange their goods and furs before the winter freeze-up. To save even more time, goods and furs were often moved back and forth between Grand Portage and Fort Lac la Pluie. This made the long journey more efficient.

A Source of Food

The second important purpose of Fort Lac la Pluie was to provide food. The voyageurs, who were the skilled canoe paddlers and transporters, had no time to hunt for food while on their long journeys. It was also very difficult to carry enough food all the way from Montreal.

Luckily, the area around Rainy Lake was rich in natural food sources. The fort could get wild rice and plenty of fish from the lake and river. The fort also helped by building important supplies like wooden kegs for storage and canoes for travel.

Changes and New Names

Over time, the importance of Fort Lac la Pluie as a food source began to decrease. This happened as more pemmican (a nutritious dried meat mixture) was produced around Lake Winnipeg.

The fort's role changed even more when the two biggest fur trading companies, the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company, merged in 1821. After the merger, the trade routes shifted. Instead of going to Montreal, furs were often sent to Hudson Bay. The Hudson's Bay Company took over Fort Lac la Pluie.

In 1830, the fort was renamed Fort Frances. This new name honored the new wife of Governor Simpson, who was a very important leader of the Hudson's Bay Company. The exact date when Fort Frances closed is not known. To learn more about the general trade route in this area, you can look up the Winnipeg River.