Pacific Fur Company facts for kids
A depiction of North American beaver, the main source of animal pelts collected by the PFC
|
|
| Private | |
| Industry | Fur trade |
| Fate | Sold at a loss |
| Successor | North West Company |
| Founded | New York City, U.S., (1810) |
| Founder | John Jacob Astor |
| Defunct | 1813 |
| Headquarters | |
|
Area served
|
Pacific Northwest, also referred to as Oregon Country or the Columbia District |
|
Key people
|
Wilson Price Hunt, Duncan McDougall, Alexander McKay, David Stuart |
| Total assets | $200,000 (1810) |
| Parent | American Fur Company |
The Pacific Fur Company (PFC) was an American company that traded furs. It was completely owned and funded by John Jacob Astor. The company operated from 1810 to 1813. Its main base was in the Pacific Northwest. This area was a place where several countries, including the United Kingdom, Spain, the U.S., and the Russian Empire, all wanted control.
In the autumn of 1810, managers, clerks, and fur trappers traveled to the Pacific Coast. Some went by land, others by sea. In 1811, the company built its main base, Fort Astoria, at the mouth of the Columbia River. Today, this is Astoria, Oregon. Later that year, the company's ship, the Tonquin, was destroyed near Vancouver Island. This meant the company lost most of its yearly trading goods.
Soon after Fort Astoria was built, the PFC faced strong competition from the British-Canadian North West Company. The North West Company had several trading posts further inland, like Spokane House. To compete, the PFC opened its own posts, including Fort Okanogan in 1811. The PFC's Overland Expedition faced challenges from several Native American groups. They also ran out of food, leading to starvation. Despite losing men, the overland groups arrived at Fort Astoria in early 1812.
The PFC also planned to work with the Russian-American Company. They wanted to supply Russian posts in Russian America with food. This would help prevent the rival North West Company from gaining power on the Pacific Coast. Neither the Russians nor Astor wanted that to happen.
During the War of 1812, the PFC lacked military protection. This forced them to sell their property to the North West Company. The company officially closed by 1813, even though the sale was not final until 1814. In 1813, some Astorians traveled back overland to St. Louis. On their journey, they discovered the South Pass through the Rocky Mountains. This pass later became a key route for thousands of settlers on the Oregon Trail, California Trail, and Mormon Trail. Astor's big plan for a trading empire failed for several reasons. These included losing two supply ships, the difficulties of crossing North America, and strong competition from the North West Company.
Contents
Starting the Company
John Jacob Astor was a successful merchant from New York City. He also founded the American Fur Company. Astor wanted to build a network of trading posts across the Rocky Mountains all the way to the Pacific Northwest. To do this, he created the Pacific Fur Company as a part of his American Fur Company.
The company was meant to operate for twenty years. Unlike its main rival, the Canadian-owned North West Company, the Pacific Fur Company was not owned by many different investors. Astor alone provided all the money, which was $200,000. The American Fur Company owned half of the company. The other half was shared among the managers and clerks who worked for the PFC.
Wilson Price Hunt, a businessman from St. Louis, was Astor's main representative. He had no experience living in the wilderness. Other partners in the company came from the North West Company. These included Alexander McKay, David Stuart, Duncan McDougall, and Donald Mackenzie. Astor and his partners signed the company agreement in New York on June 23, 1810.
Astor's plan was to send large groups of employees to the distant Oregon Country. Some would travel overland, following the route of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Others would sail around Cape Horn. The company planned to collect fur pelts in a similar way to the American Fur Company. Employees, later called "Astorians," would work in different areas to trap animals. Annual cargo ships from New York City would bring food and supplies to the PFC outposts. The Astorians would trade goods like beads, blankets, and copper with the local Native Americans for fur pelts.
Astor also saw a chance to get more furs by helping the Russian-American Company with their supply problems. Cargo ships leaving the Columbia River would sail north to Russian America to deliver needed supplies. By working with Russian leaders, Astor hoped to stop the North West Company or any other British group from settling on the Pacific Coast. In 1812, Astor signed a deal to ship furs from Russian America to China. Company ships would then sail to Guangzhou, China, where furs were sold for good profits. They would buy Chinese goods like porcelain and tea. Then, the ships would cross the Indian Ocean to sell these goods in Europe and America.
Hiring Workers
The Pacific Fur Company needed many workers, especially fur trappers and Voyageurs, to staff its locations. Wilson Price Hunt and Donald Mackenzie led the hiring for the overland journey. Alexander McKay hired people for the sea journey. All three men were based in Montreal from May to July 1810. Hunt was chosen to lead the Overland Expedition, even though he had no experience with Native cultures or living in the wilderness.
It was usually hard to find men in Montreal in May, as most had already left for the interior. Hiring was also difficult because of the North West Company's opposition and Hunt's lack of experience. However, PFC contracts were better for hired men than those of its rivals. They offered 40% higher annual salaries and double the cash advance before leaving. The service period was five years, longer than the usual two or three years.
McKay's Hiring Efforts
In the summer of 1810, Alexander McKay hired thirteen French-Canadians for the Tonquin ship. Most of them stayed in Montreal until late July. Then, they were told to go to New York City. They traveled by canoe up the Richelieu River and Lake Champlain. In Whitehall, more men hired by McKay joined the group. On August 3, they reached New York City. Their colorful hats and feathers made some Americans think they were Native Americans. The next day, they reached their lodgings on Long Island. A clerk named Gabriel Franchère described the scene: "We sang as we rowed; which, joined to the unusual sight of a birch bark canoe impelled by nine stout Canadians, dark as Indians, and as gayly adorned, attracted a crowd upon the wharves to gaze at us as we glided along." While waiting to leave for the Pacific, McKay met with a British official. The official promised that if war broke out between the U.S. and the United Kingdom, all British PFC employees would be treated fairly.
Hunt's Hiring Efforts
Thirteen men signed contracts in Montreal to join Hunt's overland journey to the Pacific coast. Only one of them had worked on a contract longer than a year before. Three men took advantage of the generous cash advances and left before Hunt's group departed for Michilimackinac in July. The group reached Mackinac Island on July 28, 1810. This island was a major trading hub for the Great Lakes fur trade. Hunt focused on hiring more men there. He convinced veteran fur merchant Ramsay Crooks to join and help with recruitment. Over sixteen days, seventeen men were hired, sixteen of whom were French-Canadian. Unlike those hired in Montreal, this group had a lot of experience as voyageurs and other fur trade roles. Crooks likely suggested buying out contracts of men already working for other companies.
After gathering the men in early August, Hunt and his group left for St. Louis. They arrived there on September 3. The hired voyageurs and fur trappers made many purchases from merchants in St. Louis and nearby Ste. Genevieve in September and October. These purchases were recorded and some believe the men bought goods to trade with Native American groups they would meet. It is also thought that these negotiations were steps for the French-Canadians to become independent traders in new fur regions. Most men in the Overland Party worked as hunters, interpreters, guides, and voyageurs.
The Sea Journey
An advance group was sent by sea to set up the first base at the mouth of the Columbia River. They carried necessary trade goods and supplies for the new station. This group would also prevent the North West Company from building a post in the area. Astor bought the ship Tonquin in 1810 to start trading in the Pacific Ocean. Most of the company partners, including Duncan McDougall, David and Robert Stuart, and Alexander McKay, led this group. Clerks Gabriel Franchère and Alexander Ross also joined them.
The Tonquin Ship
.png)
The Tonquin left New York on September 8, 1810, commanded by Jonathan Thorn. Thirty-three PFC employees were on board. The ship stopped at the Falkland Islands on December 4 for repairs and water. Captain Thorn tried to leave eight crew members, including clerks Gabriel Franchère and Alexander Ross, on shore. They were brought back on board only after Robert Stuart threatened Thorn. To keep the captain out of their talks, company workers stopped speaking English. Partners spoke in Scottish Gaelic, and laborers used Canadian French. On December 25, the Tonquin sailed around Cape Horn and headed north into the Pacific Ocean.
In February 1811, the ship anchored in the Kingdom of Hawaii. Captain Thorn gathered everyone to make sure no one would leave the ship to stay on the tropical islands. The crew traded with Hawaiians, buying food like cabbage, sugar cane, purple yams, and taro. They exchanged these for "glass beads, iron rings, needles, cotton cloth." In Honolulu, the crew met Isaac Davis and Francisco de Paula Marín. Marín helped them talk with Kamehameha I, the king, and a government official named Kalanimoku. With the king's approval, 24 Native Hawaiian Kanakas were hired. Naukane was appointed to look after their interests.
The ship reached the Columbia River in March 1811. Despite stormy weather, Thorn ordered two boats to find a safe path over the dangerous Columbia Bar. Both boats overturned, and eight men died. Finally, on March 24, the Tonquin crossed the bar into the Columbia’s estuary and anchored in Baker’s Bay. Captain Thorn wanted to start trading further north along the Pacific Coast quickly, as Astor had instructed. After 65 days on the Columbia River, the Tonquin left with a crew of 23. McKay was on board as the supercargo, in charge of the cargo. Near Vancouver Island, the ship was boarded by the Tla-o-qui-aht people. Captain Thorn caused trouble by hitting a Tla-o-qui-aht leader with a fur pelt. In the fight that followed, all the men on the Tonquin were killed, except for one interpreter. The ship was destroyed. This left the people at Fort Astoria in a difficult spot, without sea transport until the next year.
Building Fort Astoria
Construction on Fort Astoria began in mid-April 1811. It was meant to be a major trading center in the west. The fort was built on Point George, about 5 miles from the Lewis and Clark Expedition's winter camp, Fort Clatsop. The land was difficult, with thick forests and many fallen trees. Clearing the area was very hard. In late April, McDougall reported "little progress in clearing." No one in the group had logging experience, and many had never used an axe. The trees were huge and had a hard, sticky layer. Four men had to work together on platforms to cut down one tree, which often took two days.
Medical problems quickly became a big issue. There was no doctor among the people who arrived on the Tonquin. Treatments were very basic. In the first few months on the Columbia River, up to half of the expedition members were too sick to work.
Fort Okanogan
On June 15, 1811, Kaúxuma Núpika, a Two-Spirit person from the Ktunaxa people, and their wife arrived at Fort Astoria. They brought a letter from John Stuart. Kaúxuma shared information about the inland areas. They suggested opening a trading post where the Columbia and "the Okannaakken River" met, among the Syilx people. It was decided that David Stuart would lead a group with Kaúxuma to the Syilx.
Before they left, the Astorians were surprised by the arrival of David Thompson on July 15. Thompson was a competing fur trader. He said his group was exploring the Columbia River to open a trade route to the Pacific Ocean. The Astorians welcomed Thompson and his men.
On July 22, a group of eight men led by David Stuart left for the Syilx territories. This group included Alexander Ross, François Benjamin Pillet, Ovide de Montigny, and Naukane. They traveled up the Columbia with David Thompson's group, staying together until the Dalles. When they entered Watlala Chinookan territory, Stuart failed to make good relations. Watlala men showed off their weapons and stole some goods. Naukane decided to join the North West Company after this.
Stuart's group soon traveled through Sahaptin lands. On August 12, Walla Walla, Cayuse, and Nez Perce people welcomed the fur traders. After the welcome, the PFC men continued up the Columbia, passing the future site of Fort Nez Percés. By late August, the group faced problems with Western Rattlesnakes and rapids. They almost lost a canoe and the men in it to strong currents.
At the Wenatchee River, Wenatchi leaders greeted Stuart and his men. They gave two horses as a gift, and more were purchased. As they passed through other Native lands, the PFC continued to trade for food. Members of the Chelan nation traded "some salmon, roots, and berries." Later, Methows offered "abundance of salmon" and "many horses" for sale.
At the meeting point of the Columbia and Okanogan River, they found a large camp of Syilx people. Important Syilx leaders asked the fur traders to stay with them. They promised to be friends, provide beavers, food, and protection. On September 1, the canoe cargo was brought ashore, and work began on Fort Okanogan. They built a residence from driftwood found in the Okanogan River. While the post was being built, four men, including Pillet, were sent to report on the progress of inland trade. This group returned to Fort Astoria on October 11 with a good report.
Stuart led Montigny and two other men to explore the Okanogan River, leaving only Ross at the post. As promised, the Syilx protected the station, often warning Ross when people from other nations came near. Stuart and his men did not return until March 22, 1812, even though they planned to explore for only a month. After reaching the Okanogan headwaters, they went to the Thompson River. Heavy snow in the mountain passes made travel very difficult. Stuart stayed with the Secwepemc people and built good relationships with them. He found their areas rich in beavers and promised to return later that year to build a trading post.
Working with Local Native Groups
Good relationships with the Chinookan villages near the Columbia River were very important for Fort Astoria to succeed. Experts say that the American company's "economic success depended on mutually beneficial economic exchanges with Indian groups... who controlled trade." Many villages near the fort were influenced by a leader named Comcomly.
Help with Exploring
Chinookans were very important in helping the company explore the Pacific Coast. They were especially helpful in finding a good spot for Fort Astoria. In early April 1811, McDougall and David Stuart visited Comcomly. He advised them not to return to the Columbia River because it was very rough. The two men did not listen, and their canoe overturned. Comcomly and his villagers quickly helped them, saving them from drowning. After resting for three days, they returned to the PFC camp.
The Chinookans also helped by sharing information from more distant peoples. In late April 1811, they reported a trading post run by white men in the interior. PFC employees correctly guessed this was their North West Company rivals, later found to be Spokane House. On May 2, McKay led Robert Stuart, Franchère, Ovide de Montigny, and several voyageurs up the Columbia. Clatsop leader Coalpo was their guide and interpreter. The next day, they explored the Cowlitz River and met a large group of Cowlitz warriors in canoes. McKay was able to talk with them. The Cowlitz said they were armed to fight the nearby Skilloot Chinookan village. On May 10, they reached the Dalles, but found no trading post. Because Coalpo feared his enemies, the Wasco and Wishram, the group returned to Fort Astoria on May 14.
Even though they did not find the North West Company post, the managers at Fort Astoria wanted to learn more about the country and trade opportunities. On June 6, 1811, Robert Stuart went north to explore the western Olympic Peninsula with Coalpo as his guide again. He returned on June 24. Stuart reported that the Quinault and nearby Quileute nations would hunt Sea otters. They traded the pelts for valuable Dentalium shells sold by the Nuu-chah-nulth on Vancouver Island. Stuart thought a company trading post in Grays Harbor would be the best place to get these furs. He also suggested hiring Alutiiq people from Russian America to hunt fur animals at the new trading post.
However, Chinookans were not always willing to help Astorians visit distant places. This was a way to stop the Astorians from making direct trade connections with Native peoples on the Upper Columbia. One event was described as an effort to keep Comcomly's Chinookans as middlemen between the upper Columbia Natives and the Astorians. François Benjamin Pillet was ordered to make a trading trip along the Columbia. He left Fort Astoria in late June 1811 with a Chinook leader. They made small trades with Skilloots near modern Oak Point. Afterward, the leader said that seasonal flooding made the Columbia unsafe to travel further. This forced Pillet to return to Astoria with the furs he had bought.
Trade Connections
,_British_Columbia,_Canada,_c._1904,_No._1904.19.0186_-_Etnografiska_museet_-_Stockholm,_Sweden_-_DSC01088.JPG)
Fort Astoria often had low food supplies, so they needed to trade frequently with Chinookans for food. Seasonal fish runs were the main food source for the Native people living along the Columbia River. After special ceremonies for each major fish run, trading for fish would begin with the Astorians. Hawaiians working for the company often had to fish. Major fish in the Columbia included Candlefish smelt, White sturgeon, Sockeye salmon, and Chinook salmon. This reliance on fish made it a primary food source for the Astorians, which some employees did not like, as they wanted more familiar foods.
Land animals like Roosevelt elk and black-tailed deer were not found in large numbers around Fort Astoria. This made them another important trade item from the Chinookans when they visited the PFC station. Another common item sold when fish supplies were low in winter was the Wapato root. Wapato was a common source of calories for Chinookans and other nations. The Astorians described the root as "a good substitute for potatoes." They bought so much Wapato that a small cellar had to be built just to store it.
Other common purchases from Chinookans included handmade goods. Woven hats were often bought to protect against the seasonal rains. These hats were tightly woven and waterproof. They were also wide enough to cover the shoulders. Ross described the common designs as "chequered" with various animal patterns that were "not painted, but ingeniously interwoven."
Chinookans near Fort Astoria used different ways to keep their important role as middlemen between other Native peoples and the PFC. They also tried to control what neighboring Natives thought of the American company. In August 1811, a small group of Chehalis visited Fort Astoria. McDougall asked them why they rarely traded directly with the PFC. The Chehalis traders said that Chinookans connected to Comcomly claimed the Astorians were "very inveterate against their nation." McDougall believed Comcomly used this story to keep control over trade in the area.
Fears of Conflict
The Astorians, especially McDougall, did not always trust Comcomly or the Chinookans. Even though he later married one of Comcomly's daughters, McDougall often thought they were ready to attack the fort. One historian noted that he "seems to place implicit faith in any possible hostile actions by the natives."
In June 1812, the number of men at Fort Astoria was reduced to 11 Hawaiians and 39 people of European descent. Fear of attack by Chinookans was high. McDougall often ordered military drills. On July 2, a group of Chinookans visited Fort Astoria. They quickly left after seeing these military displays. This fear by the Natives convinced the Astorians that "they are not friendly disposed towards us..." and had "a desire to harm us." According to historian Robert F. Jones, this "latent distrust" of Chinookans by Astorians was likely mistaken. He believed the Chinookans came "for an innocent purpose" and were simply scared by the drills.
Fears of attack did not go away. Astorians remained cautious when dealing with Natives. After the Beaver ship left for Russian America, rumors spread in August 1812 of an upcoming attack on Astoria. There were many Chinookans and Chehalis near Comcomly's village at the time. This sped up the building of two bastions, and the fort was "put in readiness for an attack." Jones has pointed out that these movements of Native people were likely part of seasonal fishing, not a hostile gathering.
Overland Journey
As the leader of the expedition, Hunt made some very bad decisions. His group's journey was described as "a company of traders forging westward in [a] haphazard fashion." He ordered the expedition to leave St. Louis just before winter to save money on supporting employees. The group left on October 21, 1810, for Fort Osage. They traveled 450 miles up the Missouri River before setting up winter camp on Nodaway Island. This was at the mouth of the Nodaway River in Andrew County, Missouri. French-Canadian employees bought many items from the company store during the winter, especially those hired at Michilimackinac. Small items like blue beads, vermilion, brass rings, tobacco, and small axes were used to trade with the Missouria people living near the camp.
In January 1811, Hunt sailed down the Missouri River to finish some business in St. Louis. During this time, he hired Pierre Dorion Jr.. Dorion was the only person in St. Louis who spoke Sioux languages well. He owed money to Manuel Lisa and the Missouri Fur Company (MFC), which later caused problems between the fur companies. Hunt was able to hire Dorion, but only if Dorion's wife, Marie, and their two children came along. After this was settled, Hunt took British naturalists John Bradbury and Thomas Nuttall with him to the Nodaway camp, as they had agreed. The group left St. Louis on March 12 and reached Fort Osage on April 8. Early in the trip, Dorion had a disagreement with his wife, causing her to leave for a day. At Fort Osage, Ramsay Crooks was waiting for them, and the group rested for two days. The group left Fort Osage on April 10. During the day, Dorion had another disagreement with his wife, Marie, who wanted to stay with new Osage friends instead of continuing the journey. The group reached the winter camp on April 17. At this point, the overland group had almost sixty men, forty of whom were French-Canadian voyageurs.
Following the Missouri River
Hunt's expedition left the Nodaway winter camp on April 21. The Astorians reached a large Omaha village in early May. They traded actively there. Omaha merchants offered "jerked buffalo meat, tallow, corn, and marrow" for vermilion, beads, and tobacco. Bradbury noted that the Omaha village had fields of tobacco, melons, beans, squashes, and corn. While at the Omaha settlement, Hunt learned from visiting Yankton Sioux that a group of Sioux was gathering further up the river to stop the expedition.
Traveling further up the Missouri River, they met the Sioux group on May 31. The Sioux bands were a mix of Yankton and Lakota people, with about six hundred armed men. Tensions quickly rose, and both sides took positions by the Missouri River. The company's two small cannons and one swivel gun were loaded with powder and fired to scare the Sioux. The artillery was then loaded with live ammunition. But the Sioux across the river began to "spread their buffalo robes before them, and moved them side to side." Dorion stopped the firing, as he understood this meant the Sioux wanted to talk. Peace talks were held. The Sioux explained they had gathered to stop the PFC from trading with neighboring nations they were at war with, like the Arikara. Hunt explained that the expedition planned to travel to the Pacific Ocean and had no interest in the neighboring Native groups. The Sioux leaders accepted this, and the PFC was allowed to continue north.
On June 3, they met employees of the Missouri Fur Company, led by Manuel Lisa, on the Missouri River. Lisa reminded Dorion of his debt to the company. A fight between the two men was barely stopped by Bradbury and Henry Marie Brackenridge. After this, the rival fur companies avoided each other, camping on opposite sides of the Missouri River. Despite this, Lisa and Hunt led their groups north to an Arikara village, reaching it on June 12. In a meeting with local leaders, Lisa declared that if any of Hunt's party were harmed, he would take it as an offense against him too. When setting prices for horses, "carbines, powder, ball, tomahawks knives" were in high demand. The Arikara were planning an attack on the Sioux. Lisa and Hunt made a deal: Hunt's boats would be exchanged for more horses, kept at Fort Lisa further up the Missouri River. Crooks was sent with a small group to get the horses. They reached Fort Lisa on the 23rd but had to wait until the 25th for Lisa to arrive to finish the deal. The group left the next day and returned south to Hunt's camp.
Crossing the Rocky Mountains
At the Arikara village, Hunt met and hired several American trappers who had worked for the MFC in modern Idaho. These men strongly advised against going into the Piikáni homelands in modern Montana. The Piikáni and other Niitsitapi nations were usually not welcoming to European travelers. They had even shown military force against the Lewis and Clark Expedition. This changed Hunt's plans. He decided it was best to avoid the Niitsitapi peoples.
The expedition left their Arikara hosts in late July for the nearby Grand River. After following the Little Missouri River, the group rested for several days while trading with a band of Cheyenne. They bought 36 horses from the Cheyenne. The expedition left camp on August 6. Hunt ordered six men to hunt Bison. Hunt's group continued southwest through modern Wyoming. The hunting party rejoined them on August 18, having killed 8 Bison. On August 30, at the base of Cloud Peak, a scouting party of Apsáalooke visited the camp. The next day, a group of Apsáalooke on horseback invited them to their nearby village. Hunt remembered the importance of trading with the Apsáalooke: "We spent the first day of September buying some robes and belts and trading our tired, maimed horses for fresh ones... thereby augmenting the number of our horses to about 121, most of which were well-trained and able to cross the mountains." Continuing west towards the Continental Divide of the Americas, the PFC group followed the Wind River, crossed the Divide, and followed the Gros Ventre River.
Challenges at Snake River
The expedition reached Fort Henry on September 8. This fort was built by MFC employee Andrew Henry the year before, near present-day St. Anthony. The Astorians set up camp there. The post was later abandoned. At this location, they began building enough canoes to travel down Henry's Fork and then the Snake River, also called "Mad River," to the Columbia. They thought they no longer needed to travel with pack horses, a decision that would cause more problems. On the 10th, four men and two Native Americans, led by Joseph Miller, left to start trapping in the area. The remaining 77 horses were left with "two young Snakes." The party left Fort Henry on September 19 in their new canoes.
Traveling down the Snake River was very difficult because of many rapids, like Caldron Linn. The group had to carry their canoes and goods around these strong currents many times. From late September to early November, four canoe accidents killed one man and caused major losses of trade goods and food. Besides the difficulties of following the Snake River, they also faced dwindling food supplies. By October 31, they had only enough food for five days. In early November, there were not many animals to hunt for food. The few that were caught by hunting parties were beavers. The traveling partners agreed to stop using canoes, finding them too difficult. Hunt ordered several groups to go in different directions to find help from neighboring Native groups. Meanwhile, the PFC expedition began to hide its trade goods in small caches to lighten the men's load.
|
The Columbia River east of the Cascade Range.
|
At Ramsay Crooks' suggestion, the expedition was divided into two groups of nineteen men each. Each man received about 5 pounds of dried meat. A third small group, led by Donald MacKenzie, went ahead to reach Fort Astoria first. All that was left in the company's supplies was "forty pounds of corn, twenty of fat, and nearly five pounds of bouillon tablets." On November 9, the two main groups began traveling on either side of the Snake River. Soon, the cliffs became too steep to easily reach the river banks for water. Sources of water became very limited. Even after meeting several Native groups, the situation did not improve. Water was collected on November 20 after it rained the night before. Before that, "several Canadians had begun to drink their urine" out of desperation.
Crooks reunited with Hunt's party in early December, but he was alone. Crooks was so weak from starvation that his slow pace would have greatly delayed the expedition. Hunt left two men to care for Crooks while the main group moved forward. They visited several Northern Shoshone villages and bought much-needed food like horses, "some dried fish, a few roots, and some pounded dried cherries." A Shoshone person agreed to guide the PFC group to the Umatilla River. On December 23, they met thirteen men assigned to Crooks' party. They brought the bad news that they had not seen Crooks since he left Hunt's group.
Reaching the Columbia River
.jpeg)
Donald Stuart and his group, which included Robert McClellan, John Reed, Étienne Lucier, and seven other men, continued to march ahead of the two main PFC groups. While traveling through the lands of the Niimíipu, they found a stranded PFC employee, Archibald Pelton, and brought him along. They finally arrived at Fort Astoria on January 18, 1812. The group was described as wearing "nothing but fluttering rags." While waiting for Hunt's main group to arrive, the men told the fort's staff about the overland journey from St. Louis.
Hunt's group found a band of Liksiyu on January 8. They hosted the tired expedition for a week. They provided meals of dried mule deer meat and loaves of pounded Camas bulbs. While exploring the area, Hunt learned from some Liksiyu that there was an active white fur trader nearby. This turned out to be Jacques Raphaël Finlay, located at the North West Company's Spokane House. On January 21, the expedition finally reached the banks of the Columbia River. Hunt soon began talking with the Wasco-Wishram people when entering their villages. It was here he learned about the destruction of the Tonquin the previous year. The party's remaining three horses were used to buy two canoes from Wasco traders. Several portages were needed on the Columbia, especially at the Cascade Rapids. The main part of the expedition reached Fort Astoria on February 15 to much celebration. Besides Hunt, there were thirty men, along with Marie Aioe Dorion and her two children, on six canoes. McDougall was worried about feeding all these extra people, a feeling Franchère shared, as the post had recently faced food shortages. However, due to seasonal salmon runs harvested by various Chinookans, there was a good food supply at Fort Astoria.
Events in 1812
Attempted Inland Expedition
In late March, three clerks leading fourteen men were ordered to go into the interior. Robert Stuart was to take needed trade goods to Fort Okanogan. John Reed was to take food supplies to the stranded Crooks and Day, and later carry messages for Astor to St. Louis. Russel Farnham was to get the hidden supplies left by Hunt near Fort Henry. To complete some of the necessary portages at the Dalles, Wascos were hired to help carry the trade goods. However, two bundles of trade goods and some personal items were stolen. Stuart ordered his men to complete the portages during the night.
A fight broke out at sunrise between arriving Wascos and Reed, who was defending several bundles of goods with one man. After being badly injured, Reed lost the box containing the messages. More PFC men arrived, and two Native Americans were reportedly killed in the struggle. The Chinookans returned in larger numbers and armed several hours later. To avoid more bloodshed, Stuart was able to make a deal with the affected families. In exchange for six blankets and tobacco, the Astorians were allowed to continue their journey up the Columbia.
This conflict raised safety concerns about traveling into other Native nations. This forced the three parties to all travel to Fort Okanogan. They arrived there on April 24. The clerks, voyageurs, and trappers left for Fort Astoria on the 29th, leaving Alexander Ross and two men at the station. They also took about 2,500 accumulated fur pelts. Near the mouth of the Umatilla River, the group was surprised to hear English shouted among a group of Native Americans, perhaps Umatilla. Ramsay Crooks and John Day were there, exhausted from several months of difficulties. They had wandered over a large area. At one point, the two men received help from an Umatilla leader, Yeck-a-tap-am, who "in particular treated us like a father." After being robbed by another group of Natives, Crooks and Day found the Umatilla again. Taking the two tired men with them, the party reached Fort Astoria on May 11.
The Beaver Ship
The Beaver was the second supply ship Astor sent to the Pacific Coast. Cornelius Sowle was its captain. It sailed from New York City in October 1811 and reached Fort Astoria on May 9, 1812. While stopping in the Kingdom of Hawaii, more men were hired as Kanakas for the company. After unloading necessary supplies at the Fort, the Beaver sailed to Russian America. Hunt joined the crew to talk with RAC governor Alexander Andreyevich Baranov at New Archangel. The Russians bought cargo worth ₽124,000, paying with seal skins found on Saint Paul Island. Astor's orders were for the ship to return to the Columbia, but the Beaver was in poor condition. It sailed to the Kingdom of Hawaii instead. Hunt was left there as the Beaver went west to Guangzhou, China. News of the War of 1812 kept the ship in port for the rest of the conflict. The Beaver then went to New York City, arriving in 1816.
Second Inland Expedition
The Astorians were not discouraged by the earlier failures to complete tasks in the interior in 1812. The supplies and new workers brought by the Beaver made management consider "grander schemes" for the summer. New trading posts would be built to challenge the North West Company across the region. They also planned trading trips among various Native nations. Almost 60 men were sent to areas from the Willamette Valley in Oregon to the Bitterroot Valley in Montana and near modern Kamloops in British Columbia. The movement of workers to their assigned places began in late June.
Robert Stuart led a group heading to St. Louis to send information to Astor, as Reed had tried earlier. His group had two French-Canadians and four Americans. John Day became mentally unwell, and Stuart paid several Multnomah men from Cathlapotle village to take him back to Fort Astoria. Stuart's group made the important discovery of the South Pass. This pass was very important for the later westward movement of thousands of American settlers.
Company Closure
The money from Astor helped establish several major trading posts in the Pacific Northwest. While the Pacific Fur Company aimed to control the regional fur trade, it ultimately failed. This happened for many reasons, often due to the difficult relationship between the United Kingdom and the United States. The destruction of the Tonquin left Fort Astoria without enough supplies. This made the fort heavily dependent on the neighboring Chinookans for food. Competition from the inland-based North West Company threatened the loss of important fur-producing regions in Oregon Country. The Overland Expedition arrived many months later than Astor had planned. Wilson Price Hunt's lack of experience in the wilderness, along with dwindling supplies, left most of the expedition facing starvation.
The arrival of the Beaver brought much-needed trading goods, food, and more employees. However, events soon led to the end of the PFC. News of the War of 1812 reached the Astorians at Fort Spokane. Donald McKenzie brought this information to Fort Astoria in January 1813. As Franchere remembered, a meeting of clerks and managers noted that the Astorians were "almost to a man British subjects." This forced them to agree to "abandon the establishment" of Fort Astoria and its other posts.
North West Company clerks reported that a British warship was on its way to capture the station. The PFC management agreed to sell its property across the Oregon Country. This was made official on October 23, 1813, when the Union Jack (British flag) was raised. On November 30, HMS Racoon arrived at the Columbia River. In honor of George III of the United Kingdom, Fort Astoria was renamed Fort George. John MacDonald was on board the Racoon and oversaw the official takeover of PFC properties. Later, in March 1814, the North West Company's ship Isaac Todd arrived on the Columbia. It delivered much-needed supplies to Fort George. It then sailed to China and England. It carried some PFC personnel, many of whom were former North West Company employees, back to England. From there, they returned to Montreal.
What Was Left Behind
During a North West Company meeting in July 1814, the partners said that the sale "greatly facilitated the getting out of the [Pacific] Country our competitors the American Fur Company." They also concluded that selling Astoria and other PFC properties gave "considerable" advantages to their company. They considered using the stations in the same way Astor had planned, for trade with China. The Columbia River also offered a cheaper way to supply the inland North West Company posts in the region.
The Treaty of 1818 created "joint occupancy" of the Pacific Northwest between the United States and the United Kingdom. Both nations agreed not to stop each other's citizens from their activities. In 1821, the British Government ordered the North West Company to merge with its long-time rival, the Hudson's Bay Company. Soon, the Hudson's Bay Company controlled most of the fur trade across the Pacific Northwest. This meant that "the Americans were forced to acknowledge that Astor's dream" of a global economic network "had been realized... by his enterprising and far-sighted competitors."
The PFC also had other, more subtle influences on the region. The book Astoria was written by Washington Irving in 1836. He interviewed some people connected to the company and looked at Astor's documents. Two surviving Astorians, Étienne Lucier and Joseph Gervais, later became farmers on the French Prairie. They also took part in the Champoeg Meetings, which were important for the future of Oregon.
See also
In Spanish: Pacific Fur Company para niños
- Maritime Fur Trade
- North West Company
- Astoria (book)
