Fort Carlton
Encyclopedia
Fort Carlton was a Hudson's Bay Company
fur trade post from 1810 until 1885. It was rebuilt by the Saskatchewan
government as a provincial historic park and can be visited today. It is about 65 kilometers north of Saskatoon
.
served as its last Chief Factor
. It was a major base of operations for the Company's Saskatchewan District
.
Situated on the Carlton Trail
from the Red River Settlement in present-day Manitoba to Fort Edmonton
in what is now Alberta
, Fort Carlton served as a hub for travellers. It was located along the North Saskatchewan River
not far from Duck Lake, Saskatchewan.
and Saulteaux
First Nations
was initially negotiated and signed near the Fort in 1876. Big Bear
(Mistahimaskwa) had used the site in his initial negotiations for Treaty Six in about 1884, and finally, the following year he surrendered here after his engagement at Steele Narrows. The Prince Albert
blockhouse was employed by the Royal Northwest Mounted Police on evacuating from Fort Carlton after the first fire.
The North-West Mounted Police leased the fort from the company in the 1880s, and it was their main base in the Saskatchewan Valley
region. Following the Battle of Duck Lake
it was abandoned by the police and Prince Albert Volunteers
then briefly occupied by Gabriel Dumont's Métis
forces, who later chose to withdraw to Batoche. During the 1885 conflict, the fort was destroyed by fire.
Hudson's Bay Company
The Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
fur trade post from 1810 until 1885. It was rebuilt by the Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
government as a provincial historic park and can be visited today. It is about 65 kilometers north of Saskatoon
Saskatoon
Saskatoon is a city in central Saskatchewan, Canada, on the South Saskatchewan River. Residents of the city of Saskatoon are called Saskatonians. The city is surrounded by the Rural Municipality of Corman Park No. 344....
.
History
First called Carlton House, two previous posts were established in 1795 and 1804 respectively, before being abandoned for the third and permanent fort.Commercial
As a Company post it primarily dealt in provisions, namely pemmican and buffalo robes although other furs were traded as well. Lawrence ClarkeLawrence Clarke
Lawrence Clarke was the Chief Factor of the District of Saskatchewan for the Hudson's Bay Company. He resided at Fort Carlton in Canada. He later became a magistrate...
served as its last Chief Factor
Factor (agent)
A factor, from the Latin "he who does" , is a person who professionally acts as the representative of another individual or other legal entity, historically with his seat at a factory , notably in the following contexts:-Mercantile factor:In a relatively large company, there could be a hierarchy,...
. It was a major base of operations for the Company's Saskatchewan District
District of Saskatchewan
The District of Saskatchewan was a regional administrative district of Canada's Northwest Territories. Much of the area was incorporated into the province of Saskatchewan. The western part became part of Alberta, and the eastern part is now part of Manitoba. Its capital was Prince Albert...
.
Situated on the Carlton Trail
Carlton Trail
The Carlton Trail was the primary land transportation route connecting the various parts of the Canadian Northwest for most of the 19th Century. It stretched from the Red River Colony up to what is today Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan via Fort Ellice...
from the Red River Settlement in present-day Manitoba to Fort Edmonton
Fort Edmonton
Fort Edmonton was the name of a series of trading posts of the Hudson's Bay Company from 1795 to 1891, all of which were located in central Alberta, Canada...
in what is now Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Fort Carlton served as a hub for travellers. It was located along the North Saskatchewan River
North Saskatchewan River
The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River....
not far from Duck Lake, Saskatchewan.
Military
Treaty Six between the Canadian monarch and various CreeCree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
and Saulteaux
Saulteaux
The Saulteaux are a First Nation in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, Canada.-Ethnic classification:The Saulteaux are a branch of the Ojibwe nations. They are sometimes also called Anihšināpē . Saulteaux is a French term meaning "people of the rapids," referring to...
First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
was initially negotiated and signed near the Fort in 1876. Big Bear
Big Bear
Big Bear or Mistahi-maskwa was a Cree leader notable for his involvement in the North-West Rebellion and his subsequent imprisonment.-Early life and leadership:...
(Mistahimaskwa) had used the site in his initial negotiations for Treaty Six in about 1884, and finally, the following year he surrendered here after his engagement at Steele Narrows. The Prince Albert
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada. It is situated in the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway to the North" because it is the last major centre along the route to the resources of northern Saskatchewan...
blockhouse was employed by the Royal Northwest Mounted Police on evacuating from Fort Carlton after the first fire.
The North-West Mounted Police leased the fort from the company in the 1880s, and it was their main base in the Saskatchewan Valley
Saskatchewan Valley
The name of a geographic area in Saskatchewan, Canada encompassing generally a triangle from North Battleford, to Saskatoon, north to the Saskatchewan River Forks east of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan...
region. Following the Battle of Duck Lake
Battle of Duck Lake
The Battle of Duck Lake was a skirmish between Métis soldiers of the Provisional Government of Saskatchewan and Canadian government forces that signalled the beginning of the North-West Rebellion.-Prelude:...
it was abandoned by the police and Prince Albert Volunteers
Prince Albert Volunteers
The Prince Albert Volunteers or Prince Albert Rifles were a historical body of militia organized in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, which served as Canadian government militia during the North-West Rebellion....
then briefly occupied by Gabriel Dumont's Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
forces, who later chose to withdraw to Batoche. During the 1885 conflict, the fort was destroyed by fire.
Public
Fort Carlton Provincial Park was opened in 1967. It features a partial reconstruction of the fort circa 1880, including four replica buildings of "Red River frame" construction.See also
- Lawrence Clarke - Hudson's Bay Company Factor at Fort Carlton
- Wingard, Saskatchewan
- Treaty Six
External links
- Fort Carlton - The Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian EncyclopediaThe Canadian Encyclopedia is a source of information on Canada. It is available online, at no cost. The Canadian Encyclopedia is available in both English and French and includes some 14,000 articles in each language on a wide variety of subjects including history, popular culture, events, people,...
- Canadian Registry of Historic Places
- Trading in Fur - Virtual Saskatchewan
- Fort Carlton Provincial Park