The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-05-29

SO that Star-Mirror readers ma
familiarize themselves with the earl
day characters who will be repre-
scented in the big Idaho historics
pageant at the University of Idaho
June 8, The Star-Mirror is reproduc
ing on the old trading posts of Idaho
as they were linked up with early da
history of the state. This article wa
written by Professor G. j. Brosnar
OF the department of American histor,
at the University of Idaho, and wa
published IN the Idaho Statesman il
september, 1920. 1t deals with thu
dlscoyerers, the explorers, the ful
traders and the missionaries who frs
invaded this new territory and will aiC
those who witness the pageant in
placing the haracters.-Editor.
The Hudson's Bay company was
organized in 1870, over a hundred
years prior to the outbreak of the
American revolution, when a group
OF merchant Adventures succeeded in
inducing the good-humored but
hard-hearted voluptuary" Charles II.
to grant them charter The aris-
tocratic character of it's rule as well
as the personnel of it's directorate
through two and one-half centuries is
easily enough accounted for when it
is recalled that such noblemen as
Prince Rupert, the kings cousin, was
one OF its incorporators and its first
governor that James II. was one of its
first stockholders; that such notables
as General Monk, whom the MERRY
Monarch made Duke of Albemarle.
and the skillful Lord Ashley assisted
in it's organization.
By 1856 the company had partially
girdled Hudson's Bay with five forts.
Another hundred years of westward
march across British North America
had brought it's rule to the Rocky
mountains when Fort Edmonton was
built almost in view of those towering
ranges. Its descent upon Columbian
waters was made possible by the alb
sorptlon OF its aggressive rival, the
North West Fur company of Mont
real, in 1921. 1t will be recalled that
1t was the North West company that
nearly defeated Astor's Pacific Fur
company in the race for the mouth
OF the Columbia, and in 1909 actually
built Kullyspell House, on Lake Pend
dOreille, the first post to be estab-
llshed in the state Of Idaho.
moving Into Old Oregon
1t was not until the erection of Fort |
Vancouver, the Columbian headquar-
tiers of the Hudson's Bay company,
which was begun in 1924, that the
Great Company was ready for the
systematic exploitation of the fur
trade in old Oregon.
The present state of Idaho lay with
in what the Hudson's Bay men desig-
mated as the Snake Country" vast
region lying between the Three Tetons
on the east and the Cascades and
Slerras on the west The three forts
situated in the Snake country were
Fort Walla Walla, erected in 1918;
Fort Boise, erected in 1884, and Fort
Hall, erected by the American trader
Wyeth, in 1884, but purchased by the !
Hudson's Bay company in 1886. !, ,
From 1921 until 1886 the company I
sent annually large trapping party
into Idaho known as the Snake Coun-
try Expedition or Brigade These l
trapping parties, which were in ;
charge of chief trader and a clerk, Q
often consisted of as many as 100 7
men and 200 horses, and wound re- i
main in the beaver country for nine Il
Or ten months. The fur trade d
1ourished until about 1910, when a
much of the beaver country was in n
ured on account of the ruinous meth q
DDS Of competition then existing be- 9
ween the British and American trap v
pers. The Hudson's Bay company
also received a GRIPPING blow when j.
he present Idaho became American II
in accordance with the terms S
II the treaty of 1916. 1t continued, Il
however, to do a good business in Il
urs and considerable trade in mer- a
with emigrants and trap b
,ers until 1855, when Fort Boise and b
Fort Hall were abandoned by order IL
# Chief Factor Dugald McTavish of p
Fort Vancouver. The trading goods Il
t Fort Hall remained there until the fl
pring of 1856, when the roads per- =
nitted their removal to Flathead Post =
ear the present Missoula, Montana =
During the 35 years that the Hud-
on's Bay company dominated the
treams of Idaho, it was represented
y a fine company of able leaders
his sketch will permit brief men
oned of only FIVE of them. Space
vill not permit an account of such
Picturesque and able men as Tom
IcKay, "six feet high and sure
hot" the kindly Francois Payette of Il
ort Boise; that less well known but h
aithful servant, James Craigie, of
lat same post; William Charles, the
'ader. who witnessed the abandon
tent of Fort Boise in 1855, and who
as destined to VII his spurs in other
elds by rising to the high position
chief factor Neither will the
cope or purpose of this article per-
lit sketches of John Mcleod, the
rigade commander; Finan McDon-
d, the veteran North Wester who
d brigade to Idaho in 1929 Post
aster Donald Mclean; Interpreter>
ngus Mcdonald; the veteran Neil =
cArthur, or that gray-haired old
heel-horse, Richard Grant, of Fort
all, who was chief trader there from
AZ to 1851 and whose ashes now
st at Walla Walla Washington.
Notables In Idaho
The first of the notable fur hunters
trap along the streams of Idaho
as Donald Mckenzie. To him be-
;e<; 80 !, |