Intense competition led to the establishment of trading and provisioning posts along most western and northern rivers in the first quarter of the nineteenth century. Some posts were used only for a season or two before being abandoned. Others, such as Fort Edmonton and Fort Garry, eventually became centres of major western cities.
Rocky Mountain House, established by the North West Company in 1799, is a good example of a trading post. The illustration shows a palisaded fort with corner bastions and internal buildings for storage and residence. Located within sight of the Rocky Mountains, it was the most westerly of the posts on the Saskatchewan River and served as a base for exploration in what is today British Columbia. Typical of posts on the Saskatchewan River, it was located on the north bank to provide additional protection against the assertive and powerful bands of the Blackfoot confederacy to the south. The illustration shows nearby horse herds, always a potential target for Indian raids, Red River carts, and various water craft, possibly canoes and York boats. A flag mounted on a very high pole is also a prominent feature. Archaeological investigation of such post locations, combined with surviving diaries and business records, are primary sources of information used in recreating the history of the fur trade period. For more information about the Blackfoot, see Canada's Visual History, volume 46, "Blackfoot".
Courtesy: National Map Collection, Public Archives of Canada (C-16082)
