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Shopping in the Late Nineteenth Century: the Hudson’S Bay Company and Its Transition from the Fur Trade to Retailing

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Shopping in the Late Nineteenth Century: the Hudson’S Bay Company and Its Transition from the Fur Trade to Retailing SHOPPING IN THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY: THE HUDSON’S BAY COMPANY AND ITS TRANSITION FROM THE FUR TRADE TO RETAILING A Thesis Submitted to the College of Graduate Studies and Research In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Arts In the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon By Jennifer Anne Schmidt ©Jennifer Schmidt, December, 2011. All rights reserved. Permission to Use In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Postgraduate degree from the University of Saskatchewan, I agree that the Libraries of this University may make it freely available for inspection. I further agree that permission for copying of this thesis in any manner, in whole or in part, for scholarly purposes may be granted by the professor or professors who supervised my thesis work or, in their absence, by the Head of the Department or the Dean of the College in which my thesis work was done. It is understood that any copying, publication, or use of this thesis or parts thereof for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. It is also understood that due recognition shall be given to me and to the University of Saskatchewan in any scholarly use which may be made of any material in my thesis. Requests for permission to copy or to make other use of material in this thesis in whole or part should be addressed to: Head of the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B1 Canada i Abstract The South Battleford Project began in 1972 with salvage excavations in the historic town of Battleford, Saskatchewan. This work encompassed a Hudson‟s Bay Company (HBC) post in operation from 1876-1885 at which time it was burned down during the North-West Resistance. Although the store was raided and subsequently set on fire, the excavated cellar depression revealed many of the types of goods that would have been available to the community during the late nineteenth century. The catalogue and classification of artifacts from these Battleford excavations are completed in this thesis, along with a historical reconstruction for the study area. The data from the South Battleford Project are also used to examine the HBC‟s transition from fur trading to retailing during the late 1800s. Very little research has been done in this area of Canadian history, especially when compared to the vast amounts of data gathered on the preceding fur trade era. As Battleford was the capital of the North-West Territories (1876-1883) and later played a role in the North-West Resistance, the town has an important place in the history and development of western Canada. Therefore, this archaeological site has significant value and adds to the extensive historical reconstruction done at the National Historic Site of Fort Battleford. This research provides a glimpse into the economic environment surrounding Battleford and the western Canadian plains in the late nineteenth century. Although the HBC had successfully accommodated to the demands of the native trade they were slow in adapting to the growing Euro-Canadian market on the western plains. Increasingly, local competition began to emerge in the form of general retailing, further inspired by the ability to obtain cheap goods from wholesalers in Winnipeg. The HBC, still operating out of London, struggled to keep up with shifting trends and technologies and thus lost much of the local business. Maintenance of long distance trade networks further inhibited efficient supply routes and delayed the arrival of goods at western posts. Together through the use of archaeological remains and historic documents, the Battleford economic environment is reconstructed, including the HBC‟s struggle to compete for the local trade. It is thus demonstrated that prior to the development of HBC department stores in the 1890s, this long established trading company was slow in profiting from the emerging retail business in the Canadian west. ii Acknowledgements I would first and foremost like to thank my supervisor Dr. Margaret Kennedy who has encouraged and guided me throughout my archaeological education at the University of Saskatchewan. I am forever grateful for the hands-on opportunities she has shared with me and her love for historical archaeology has been an inspiration. I also want to acknowledge Dr. David Meyer and Dr. Chris Foley, members of my thesis committee, for their suggestions and assistance during the past years. I am much appreciative of Dr. Evelyn Siegfried and the Royal Saskatchewan Museum for giving me the opportunity to work with the Battleford collection. I am also grateful for the generous assistance I received both from the Hudson‟s Bay Company Archives in Winnipeg and the Saskatchewan Archives in Saskatoon. Additional assistance was received from the Saskatoon Western Development Museum, the Glenbow Museum and both Fort Battleford and the Fred Light Museum located in Battleford, Saskatchewan. I would also like to thank the members of the Battleford community who shared their passion for the local history and ensured the FeOb-2 site was salvaged in 1972. Robert Clipperton was particularly helpful, sharing his vast knowledge and passion for the local Battleford history. This thesis would also not have been possible without the assistance and financial aid from the following organizations: the Royal Saskatchewan Museum, the Social Science Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Saskatchewan Heritage Foundation, and the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Saskatchewan. I would like to mention my friends and fellow grad students for all of their help, moral support, and coffee runs over the years. Most importantly, I want to thank my family. I could not have finished in three years had it not been for the endless days of babysitting, love and support. Mom, your help with cataloguing motivated me when I needed it and Murray, I would still be transporting artifacts to and from Regina if not for your help. I deeply appreciate all the advice, encouragement, and support throughout my long and winding university career. Finally, to my supportive husband Andrew and loving daughter Isabel for their endless supply of encouragement, support and laughter over the past years. I thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to pursue my passion. I am forever grateful. iii Table of Contents Permission to Use ........................................................................................................................... i Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... ix List of Appendices ..........................................................................................................................x Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................... xi Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................1 1.1 Project Background ................................................................................................................2 1.2 Research Significance and Goals ...........................................................................................3 1.3 Thesis Layout .........................................................................................................................5 Chapter 2: Natural Setting of the Battleford Area .....................................................................7 2.1 Natural Environment: the Aspen Parkland Eco-Region in Past and Present ........................7 2.2 Geomorphology ......................................................................................................................9 2.3 Vegetation ............................................................................................................................11 2.4 Mammals, Birds and Fish .....................................................................................................12 2.5 Climate .................................................................................................................................14 2.1 Summary ..............................................................................................................................14 Chapter 3: History of the Fur Trade and the Battleford Area ................................................16 3.1 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................16 3.2 Theoretical Implications of Historic Documents .................................................................16 3.3 History of the Fur Trade .......................................................................................................19
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