Canadian Historic Sites: Occasional Papers in Archaeology and History No. 6

A History of Rocky Mountain House

by Hugh A. Dempsey

Endnotes

Acton House, 1799-1821, and Rocky Mountain House, 1799-1834

1 James G. MacGregor, Peter Fidler, Canada's Forgotten Surveyor (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1966), pp. 74-8.

2 Duncan McGillivray, The Journal of Duncan M'Gillivray of the North West Company at Fort George on the Saskatchewan, 1794-5 (Toronto: Macmillan, 1929), p. 56.

3 Hudson's Bay Company Archives (hereafter cited as HBCA), Edmonton House: Journals, 12 March 1798, B.60/a/5. This and subsequent references from the Hudson's Bay company Archives, London, are published by permission of the Governor and Committee of the Hudson's Bay Company.

4 Ibid., 26 September 1799.

5 Ibid., letters, John Peter Pruden to James Bird, 17 June and 10 August 1799.

6 In his reminiscences, McDonald places the date at 1802 but he was in error (L.R. Masson, Les bourgeois de la Compagnie du Nord-Ouest [Quebec: Cote, 1889], Vol. 1, pp. 26-7). James Bird noted on 7 September 1799 that "Mr. McDonald of NW. Co. had arrived [at Buckingham House] the 5th inst. & that he intends to build near the Rocky Mountains" (HBCA, Edmonton House: Journals, B.60/a/5).

7 HBCA, Edmonton House: Journals, 14 September 1799, B.60/a/5.

8 Ibid., 24 September 1799.

9 In some instances, traders referred to the fort as Rivière l'Eau House, Clearwater House, Stoney Mountain House, or simply as Mountain House.

10 For an account of this trip see Hugh A. Dempsey, ed., "Thompson's Journey to the Red Deer River," Alberta Historical Review, Winter, 1965, pp. 1-8.

11 David Thompson, David Thompson's Journals (Toronto: Ontario Archives), Vol. 6, No. 13 (hereafter cited as Thompson Journals).

12 HBCA, Edmonton House: Journals, 2 November 1799, B.60/a/5.

13 Thompson Journals, Vol. 8, No. 18, entries for November 21, 1806, January 26, 29, February 2, March 3, 5, 1807.

14 HBCA, Edmonton House: Journals, 25 August 1806, B.60/a/6.

15 Ibid., 22 September 1806.

16 Ibid.

17 Canada. Public Archives (hereafter cited as PAC), MG19, A13, Vol. 1, 6 October 1810.

18 HBCA, Edmonton House: Journals, 9 October 1818, B.60/a/19.

19 Ibid., 25 September 1818.

20 Ibid., 15 March 1820, B.60/a/21.

21 Arthur S. Morton, A History of the Canadian West to 1870-71 (London: Thomas Nelson & Sons, n.d.), p. 630.

22 HBCA, Edmonton House: Journals, 30 November 1823, B.60/a/24.

23 HBCA, York Factory: Journals, Box 541, 811, Gov. James Simpson to Governor and Committee, London, 25 July 1827, B.239/a.

24 HBCA, Rocky Mountain House: Journals, various entries for 1828-29, B.184/a/3.

25 Hiram A. Chittenden, The American Fur Trade of the Far West (New York: Harper, 1902), Vol. 1, p. 334.

26 E.H, Oliver, ed., The Canadian North West (Ottawa, 1914), Vol. 1, p. 678.

27 For an account of this post's history, see J.E.A. Macleod, "Piegan Post and the Black foot Trade," Canadian Historical Review, Vol. 24 (1943), pp. 273-9.

Rocky Mountain House, 1835-61

1 HBCA, Bow Fort: Journal (Peagan Post and Rocky Mountain House Journal), 20 January 1834, B.21/a.

2 Ibid.

3 HBCA, Gov. George Simpson, Correspondence Books Inward, John Edward Harriott to Gov. Simpson, 27 April 1835, p. 66, D.4/127.

4 Ibid.

5 Ibid.

6 HBCA, Rocky Mountain House: Journals, 25 January 1837, B.184/a/4.

7 Glenbow Foundation. Archives, Extracts from the Journals and Letters of Rev. Robert Terril Rundle, Upper Saskatchewan River, 1840-48, ed., Rev. J. P. Berry and Frank G. Roe, pp. 21-2.

8 Ibid., p. 24.

9 Hiram M. Chittenden and A. T. Richardson, Life, Letters and Travels of Father Pierre-Jean De Smet, S.J., 1801-1873 (New York: Harper, 1905), Vol. 2, p. 518.

10 Glenbow Foundation. Archives, Journal of the Rev. Robert T. Rundle, 1840-48, entry for 7 October 1845.

11 Paul Kane, Wanderings of an Artist Among the Indians of North America (Toronto: Radisson Society, 1925), p. 287.

12 Ibid., p. 288.

13 William Gladstone, "William Gladstone's Diary," Rocky Mountain Echo, 30 June 1903.

14 Ibid.

15 Ibid.

16 Henry J. Moberly, When Fur Was King (New York: Dutton, 1929), p. 35.

17 Ibid., pp. 35-6.

18 William Gladstone, op. cit., 30 June 1903.

19 Ibid.

20 Hugh A. Dempsey, The Band System of the Blood Indians.

21 William Gladstone, op. cit., 28 July 1903.

22 Ibid., 6 October 1903.

23 Ibid.

24 Ibid., 7 July 1903.

25 Henry J. Moberly, op. cit., p. 45.

26 Ibid., p. 44.

27 Thomas Woolsey, "Edmonton and Rocky Mountains," Wesleyan Missionary Notices, Canada Conference, Quarterly, No. 16 (May 1858), 29 October 1857.

28 John Palliser, Papers Relative to the Exploration by Captain Palliser... (London: H.M. Stationery Office, 1859), p. 40.

29 Ibid., 1863, p. 15.

30 Ibid., p. 18.

31 William Gladstone, op. cit., 6 October 1903.

32 Ibid.

33 HBCA, Edmonton House: Journals, 28 March 1861, B.60/a/31.

34 Ibid.

35 Glenbow Foundation. Archives, Papers of Richard Hardisty, Chief Factor of Edmonton House, 1861-98, W.J. Christie to Richard Hardisty, Fort Garry, 10 July 1861.

36 John B. Tyrrell, "Gold on the North Saskatchewan River," Transactions of the Canadian Mining Institute (1915), p. 162.

37 The Nor'Wester, Winnipeg, 11 June 1863.

38 HBCA, Edmonton House: Correspondence Books, W.J. Christie to Gov. A. G. Dallas, 31 December 1863, B.60/b/1.

39 Ibid., 13 September 1864.

40 Katherine Hughes, Father Lacombe, the Black-Robe Voyageur (Toronto: W. Briggs, 1911), pp. 104-5.

41 W.A. Griesbach, ed., "The Narrative of James Gibbons," Alberta Historical Review, Summer 1958, p. 4.

42 HBCA, Edmonton House: Journal, 28 March 1865, B.60/a/34.

43 John McDougall, Pathfinding on Plain and Prairie (Toronto: W. Briggs, 1898), p. 129.

44 Ibid., p. 138.

45 Ibid., p. 129.

Rocky Mountain House, 1866-75

1 HBCA, Rocky Mountain House: Journals.

24 August 1866, B.184/a/5.

2 Freeda Fleming, "Rocky Mountain House," The Beaver, Outfit (December 1949), p. 53. No source is given by the author for her statement.

3 Glenbow Foundation. Archives, Papers of Richard Hardisty, Chief Factor of Edmonton House, 1861-98, "Census of Whites, Halfbreeds and Indians at the Several Posts in the Saskatchewan District, 1st January 1872."

4 Campbell Munroe, Reminiscences.

5 Ibid.

6 William F. Butler, The Great Lone Land (London: Sampson, Low, Marston, Low & Searle, 18741, pp. 283-4.

7 John McDougall, In the Days of the Red River Rebellion (Toronto: W. Briggs, 1903), p. 42.

8 HBCA, Edmonton House: Journal, 5 December 1869, B.60/a/36.

9 W.A. Griesbach, ed., op. cit., p. 10. While Gibbons places the date of his trip in February, 1869, he is a year out, as he mentions that the Blackfoot were suffering from smallpox and this epidemic did not break out until the summer of 1869.

10 Katherine Hughes, op. cit., pp. 174, 191.

11 William F. Butler, op. cit., p. 281.

12 Manitoba. Public Archives, Papers of A. G. Archibald, No. 189. Deposition of John Newbert.

13 Ibid., W.J. Christie to Donald A. Smith, 29 June 1870.

14 Ibid.

15 Ibid.

16 Glenbow Foundation. Archives, Papers of Richard Hardisty, "List of Furs, Total Returns of Rocky Mt House, Outfit 1872."

17 Ibid., John Bunn to Richard Hardisty, 27 August 1872.

18 Hugh A. Dempsey, ed., "Robertson-Ross' Diary, Fort Edmonton to Wildhorse, B.C., 1872," Alberta Historical Review, Summer 1961, p. 11.

19 Freeda Fleming, op. cit., pp. 54-5. Jean l'Heureux was born in Quebec and studied for the priesthood but was never ordained. He came west about 1860 and passed himself off as a priest while living with the Blackfoot Indians. He was present at Treaty No, 7 negotiations in 1877 and wrote a number of memorials and letters on behalf of various Indians. He served as interpreter for the Indian Department from 1879 to 1891 and died in Lacombe Home, Midnapore, in 1919. During his lifetime he wrote a number of papers on subjects relating to history, ethnology and geography. One of these, dealing with a Blackfoot sacrificial stone, was published in the Alberta Historical Review, Autumn, 1951.

20 Glenbow Foundation. Archives, Papers of Richard Hardisty, John Sinclair to Richard Hardisty, 29 October 1872.

21 Ibid.

22 This was at the south end of the Porcupine Hills, near the present town of Pincher Creek.

23 See n. 20, above.

24 Glenbow Foundation. Archives, Papers of Richard Hardisty, "Results of Trade at Rocky Mountain House from July 24th up to 4 December 1872."

25 HBCA, Report of W.S. Gore, p. 49, E.15/14.

26 Ibid.

27 Glenbow Foundation. Archives, Papers of Richard Hardisty, John Sinclair to Richard Hardisty, 18 February 1873.

28 Ibid., "Result of Stone trade, Summer 1873," and "Result of Blackfoot trade, Summer 1873."

29 Canada, Geological Survey, Annual Report, 1873-74, Report of Alfred R.C. Selwyn, p. 60.

30 Glenbow Foundation. Archives, Papers of Richard Hardisty, John Sinclair to Richard Hardisty, 16 March 1874.

31 Ibid.

32 Ibid., Minutes of the Northern Council, 14 July 1874.

33 Ibid., John Bunn to Richard Hardisty, 26 October 1874.

34 Ibid., Angus Fraser to Richard Hardisty, 15 October 1874.

35 Ibid., Comm. J.A. Grahame to Richard Hardisty, 28 December 1874.

36 Ibid., 5 January 1876.

37 Ibid., Angus Fraser to Richard Hardisty, 8 November 1875.

38 Ibid.

39 Ibid., "Result of trade up to this date, Nov. 8, 1875."

40 Ibid., Comm. J. A. Grahame to Richard Hardisty, 5 January 1876.

41 Ibid., Lawrence Clarke to Richard Hardisty, 4 June 1877.

42 Edmonton Bulletin, 8 July 1882.

43 Canada, Geological Survey, Annual Report, n.s., Vol. 2 (1886), p. 53E: Report of J. B. Tyrrell.

Descriptions of Rocky Mountain House

1 HBCA, Edmonton House: Journals, 2 October 1799, B.60/a/5.

2 Thompson Journals, Vol. 8, No. 18, 11 October 1806.

3 PAC, MG19, A13, Vol. 1, 13 February 1811.

4 Ibid.

5 Ibid.

6 Ibid., 7 October 1810. An edited version of Henry's journal for this period may be found in Elliott Coues, ed., New Light on the Early History of the Greater Northwest (New York: Harper, 1897), pp. 644-67.

7 PAC, MG19, A13, Vol. 1. This and following entries are from Henry's manuscript journal and are not contained in the published Coues edition.

8 Ibid., p. 1, 166.

9 HBCA, Edmonton House: Reports on Districts, Report on the State of Edmonton District during the Year 1819-20, pp. 6-8, B.60/e/3.

10 This and succeeding quotations from the Rocky Mountain House Journals are from HBCA, B.184/a/3 and B.184/a/4.

11 HBCA, Gov. George Simpson, Correspondence Books Inward, John Edward Harriott to Gov. Simpson, 27 April 1835, p. 66, D.4/127.

12 HBCA, Rocky Mountain House: Journals, 1 October 1836, B.184/a/4.

13 Glenbow Foundation. Archives, Journal of the Rev. Robert T. Rundle, 1840-48, entry for 22 February 1841.

14 Paul Kane, op. cit., pp. 287-8.

15 William Gladstone, op. cit., 14 and 28 July 1903.

16 Henry J. Moberly, op. cit., pp. 34-5.

17 Thomas Woolsey, op. cit., 31 October 1858.

18 John Palliser, op. cit., 1859, p. 25.

19 Ibid., 1863, p. 74.

20 Ibid.

21 Ibid.

22 John B. Tyrrell to Secretary of Hudson's Bay Company, 24 January 1938, cited in letter to the author from Mrs. Shirlee A. Smith, Librarian, Hudson's Bay Company, Winnipeg, 25 April 1967.

23 This and succeeding quotations from the Rocky Mountain House Journals are from HBCA, B.184/a/5.

24 John McDougall, In the Days of the Red River Rebellion (Toronto: W. Briggs, 1903), p. 42.

25 Campbell Munroe, Reminiscences.

26 Ibid.

27 William F. Butler, op. cit., p. 277.

28 Ibid., p. 281.

29 Ibid., pp. 283-4.

Identification of Fort Sites

1 Ontario. Archives, Toronto, David Thompson's Journals, Vol. 6, No. 13.

2 PAC, MG19, A13, Vol. 1, 11 October 1810.

3 Elmer, S. Gish, A Study of the History of the Rocky Mountain House Area (M.A. thesis, Univ. of Alberta, 1952), p. 11.

Appendix A: Trade Goods

1 Thompson Journals, Vol. 8, No. 18, "Journal of the Rocky Mountain House, Occurrences, 1806 & 7."

2 Ibid., 5 January 1807, pp. 225-6.

3 Ibid., p. 268.

4 PAC, MG19, A13, Vol. 1, p. 1, 150.

5 HBCA, "Mr. James Sinclair Dr. to Hudson's Bay Co., To Supplies at Rocky Mountain House," 21 May 1851, B.184/z/1.

6 Glenbow Foundation. Archives, Papers of Richard Hardisty, "List of articles left at R.M. Ho.," November, 1875.

7 Ibid. The Lists for Lesser Slave Lake, Victoria Post, Lac La Biche, Lac Ste. Anne and Edmonton are omitted from this list, as are any articles which were not contained in the Bow and Elbow river inventories.