Fort des Épinettes facts for kids

Fort des Épinettes was an important fur trading post located on the Assiniboine River in what is now Manitoba, Canada. It was active from 1768 to 1811. This fort was also known as Pine Fort. It's important not to confuse it with Pine Island Fort, which was a different place. Fort des Épinettes was the very first trading post built on the Assiniboine River. It was closely connected to other nearby posts like Brandon House and Fort La Souris, which were about 18 miles to the west. To learn more about the fur trade in this area, you can look up the Assiniboine River fur trade.

A Look Back at Fort des Épinettes

Fort des Épinettes had a few different periods of activity, often rebuilt or moved slightly.

The First Fort (1768-1781)

The first Fort des Épinettes was likely built in 1768 by independent traders from Montreal. These traders were sometimes called "Pedlars." They included Thomas Correy, Forrest Oakes, and Charles Boyer.

The local Assiniboine people were not happy about this new fort. They wanted to keep their important role as middlemen in the fur trade with groups further west and south. Sadly, a terrible smallpox sickness spread, affecting many Indigenous people and some traders. Because of this, the fort was left empty in 1781. Some old stories say this first fort was called Assiniboine House.

The North West Company's Fort (1785-1794)

A few years later, around 1785, the North West Company (NWC) built a second fort. This new location was about three-quarters of a mile upstream from the first one. The NWC was a very large and powerful fur trading company.

This fort was in a great spot. It was near where canoes could easily travel and was in an area rich with buffalo. This meant it became a major storage place for pemmicam, a vital food made from dried meat, fat, and berries. Pemmican was essential for traders traveling long distances. In 1790, a trader named Peter Pond noted that people traded here with the Mandans, who lived about twelve days away by horseback.

In 1794, a large group of 600 Sioux people threatened the fort. The fort's leader, one of the McKays, managed to make peace. He gave them trade goods worth 200 "made beaver," which was a way to measure the value of furs. Later that year, the fort was closed. The North West Company decided to use their new post, Fort Assiniboine#1, instead.

The Final Years (1807-1811)

In 1807, the NWC's Fort Assiniboine#1 was taken apart. Its pieces were floated down the river to the original Fort des Épinettes site. The fort was rebuilt there. However, it didn't stay open for long. In 1811, it was closed again and moved further upriver to Fort la Souris#2.

Where Was Fort des Épinettes?

Fort des Épinettes was built on a bend in the Assiniboine River that looked like a horseshoe. It was east of where Épinette Creek flows into the river. The fort sat on a flat area about 75 feet above the water.

The area had plenty of birchbark and watap (spruce roots) which were perfect for building canoes. However, there weren't many large trees suitable for building the fort itself. Experts did archaeological digs at the site between 1971 and 1974 to learn more about it. The fort was on an oxbow lake, which is a U-shaped lake formed when a river changes course. This lake was cut off from the main river in 1979.

In 1890, Joseph Tyrrell visited the site and found that much of it had been washed away by the river. Today, the area where Fort des Épinettes once stood is part of Spruce Woods Provincial Park. According to the Manitoba Historical Society, the site is about a mile northwest of where Manitoba Highway 5 crosses the Assiniboine River.