Saleesh House facts for kids

Saleesh House, also known as Flathead Post, was an important place for trading furs long ago. It was built in 1809 by a company called the North West Company. This trading post was located near where Thompson Falls, Montana is today.

The people who built it were David Thompson and James McMillan. Later, in 1821, the North West Company joined with another big company called the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC). After that, Saleesh House became known more often as Flathead Post. It kept operating as a trading post until at least 1855.

Why Saleesh House Was Built

David Thompson had already set up another trading post earlier in 1809. That one was called Kullyspell House. It was built near the Clark Fork River for the Pend d'Oreilles people.

But Thompson decided he needed another post. He wanted one further up the Clark Fork River, in the area where the Flathead people lived. Thompson called the Flathead people "Saleesh." He also called the Clark Fork River the "Saleesh River." So, by the end of 1809, the Saleesh House trading post was finished.

A Perfect Location

The spot chosen for Saleesh House was really good! It was on a path that connected the high mountains to areas where people hunted bison. Many different Native American tribes used this path. They often camped for the winter near where Saleesh House was built.

Because of this, the trading post quickly became a meeting place for many different groups of people. Also, the area around the post had lots of beavers. The local tribes were skilled at trapping beavers and were happy to trade their furs. Saleesh House quickly became a very important center for the fur trade in what would later become Montana.

David Thompson's Nickname

It was at Saleesh House, in late 1809 and early 1810, that David Thompson got a special nickname. People started calling him Koo-koo-Sint, which means "Star-Looker."

Connecting Posts

In 1810, Thompson and others from the North West Company created a trail. This trail connected Saleesh House with another trading post called Spokane House. It was known as the "Skeetshoo Indian Road."

Thompson left Saleesh House for a while and didn't come back until 1812. When he returned, he found the post was not in good shape. So, Thompson worked to fix and rebuild the post, making it stronger and more lasting.

Changes in the Land

For a long time, both British and U.S. groups shared control of the lands west of the Rocky Mountains. This was agreed upon in the Treaty of 1818. However, this shared control ended in June 1846 with the Oregon Treaty. This new treaty set the border between the two countries. It drew a line along the 49th parallel from the Rocky Mountains all the way to the Pacific Ocean.