Wausakiu Fur Trade Rendezvous

09/10/2021

07/26/2021

Everything in the fur trade had come pre-packaged, but light and compact enough for the voyageurs to carry easily. This is an example of a slightly later period gunflint package. This unopened package is currently on display at the Museum of the Fur Trade.

07/07/2021

Great things being discovered every day at this ongoing dig.

We've had our first major find of the 2021 field season! From Dr. Lynn Evans, Curator of Archaeology: "We had a fun find July 4, a pocketknife, also known as a clasp knife. It was found near a post in the central root cellar. It is 3 1/2" long, 1" high at the tip of the blade peak." Come see treasures like this uncovered for yourself at Colonial Michilimackinac! mackinacparks.com

06/22/2021

Lake Pepin is a naturally occurring lake on the Mississippi River. The French began building fur trading posts on the lake starting in 1686 and continued to trade on the lake until the 1750's. The forts or posts may have been built on both sides of the lake/river, but most of the sites have been lost to time, so it is difficult to know for sure.

05/31/2021

Voyageurs were paid in several different ways when under contract with a trade company. One way that they were paid was with equipment/supplies for the season. For example a voyageur may receive part of their pay in the form of shirts, pants and to***co. Another way the voyageurs were paid was with cash. The third was with company credit. This credit would be deducted from their pay for the season, because of this many voyageurs found themselves owing money to the company at the end of the season and had to sign up for another contact to pay it off.

Attached is a microfiche scan of the account book for the year 1821 at Fort Henry (Thunder Bay, Ontario). You can see the items that these employees were "purchasing" from the North West Company. They may have been using these items for personal use or private trade.

Taken from the "William, Fort (Lake Superior) Account Book, 1821" currently located at the Manitoba Provincial Archives.