Snake River Trading Post facts for kids
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Museum in 2006
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| Established | 1970 |
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| Location | 12551 Voyageur Ln, Pine City, Minnesota, United States |
| Type | Local History |
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Snake River Fur Post
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The rowhouse reconstructed to its 1804 appearance
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Nearest city | Pine City, Minnesota |
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| Built | 1804 |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000679 |
| Added to NRHP | August 7, 1972 |
The Snake River Trading Post is a cool historical place in Pine City, Minnesota. It's a rebuilt fur trade post right on the Snake River. A "fur trade post" was like a small fort where people traded animal furs for other goods.
This post was first built way back in 1804 by a man named John Sayer. He was a partner in a big company called the North West Company. His team of voyageurs (French-Canadian fur traders and travelers) helped build it. The post was used for several years, but we don't know exactly when it stopped working. Sadly, it was later destroyed by fire.
In the 1930s, people found old objects (artifacts) at the site. Then, in the 1960s, more digging helped us learn a lot more. This information allowed experts to rebuild the post exactly how it looked before. Today, the Snake River Trading Post is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It's run by the Minnesota Historical Society as a special historic site you can visit.
Contents
History of the Fur Trade
The fur trade was a huge business in North America for hundreds of years. People in Europe really wanted animal furs to make fancy hats and warm coats. This demand led to trading posts being set up all over the wilderness.
The North West Company
The North West Company was a powerful group of British merchants. They started their company in Montreal in the 1780s. They built many trading posts, including a very large one at Grand Portage. These posts were places where their workers, called voyageurs, would live during the cold winters.
Besides the Snake River post, the North West Company also had posts in other parts of Minnesota. Some of these were at Fond du Lac (which is now part of Duluth), Big Sandy Lake, and Leech Lake.
Life at a Trading Post
A typical trading post was like a small village. It usually had a house for the clerk (the person in charge), a storehouse for goods, and a bunkhouse. About ten to twenty voyageurs would live in the bunkhouse during the winter.
During the cold months, these voyageurs would collect animal pelts. They would get furs from animals like beaver, otter, muskrat, deer, bear, and marten. These animals had hides that were very useful and valuable.
Trading with Native Americans
Native American people, like the Dakota and Ojibwe men, were skilled hunters. They would hunt and skin the animals. The women would then prepare the hides by stretching and drying them. These prepared hides were often seen as the women's property. So, they would be the ones to arrange the sales with the trading post clerk.
In return for the furs, the clerks would give the Native Americans trade goods. These goods included things like firearms, warm blankets, and cooking tools. This trade was good for everyone involved. Native Americans received useful products that were made in early factories. Europeans got the furs they needed for their hats and coats.
Rediscovering the Post
The Snake River Trading Post was lost for many years after it burned down. Then, in 1931, a local person from Pine City found some old objects. He found things like musket flints (parts of old guns) in the ground. He kept exploring the site for the next thirty years.
In 1958, he found a book that had the journal of John Sayer. This journal helped him realize what he had found! He then told the Minnesota Historical Society about his discovery.
Rebuilding the Past
The Minnesota Historical Society started testing the site in 1963. From 1965 to 1967, a group of students from Hamline University helped dig up the site. They found hundreds of old objects!
Using all this information, the Minnesota Historical Society rebuilt the post in 1968 and 1969. It was opened to the public as a historic site in 1970. In 1972, it was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Visiting Today
Today, the Snake River Trading Post looks just like it did in the winter of 1804–05. The museum is open during the summer. When you visit, you'll see guides dressed in historical costumes. They help explain what life was like at the post long ago.
The visitor center has exhibits that tell the story of the post. It also has a large room with a fireplace and a gift shop. The historic site used to be called "Connor's Fur Post" or the "North West Company Fur Post." But in February 2018, its name was changed to the Snake River Fur Post.
