134 CACHE VALLEY BEFORE THE SETTLEMENTS A talk given by M. R. HOVEY before the Cache Valley Chapter Utah State Historical Society Logan, Utah Wednesday Evening, April 28, 19$k Early Explorations and Compiled by Activities in Cache Valley M.R.Hovey, Before the Settlements. Logan, Utah. April 28,1954. Introduction. Purs. In his book on Astoria, Washington Irving says," Two leading objects of commercial gain have given birth to wide and daring enterprises in the early history of the Americas; the precious metals of the South, and the rich peltries of the iforth. While the firey and magnificent Spaniard in­ flamed the mania for gold has extended his discoveries and conquests over those brilliant countries scorched by the ardent sun of the tropics, the adroit and bouyant Frenchman and the coll and calculating Briton, have pursued the less splendid, but no less lucrative traffic In furs admist the high mountainous regions of the Canadas, until they advanced even with­ in the Artie Circle . " These two pursuits have in a manner been the pioneers and precursors of civilization. Without pausing on the borders, they penetrated at once,in /defiance of difficulties and dangers, to the heart of the savage countries; laying open the hidden secrets of the wilderness; leading the way to remote regions of beauts'- and fertility that might have remained unexplored for ages and beckoning after then the slow and pausing steps of agriculture and civilization". The history of the fur trade is so closely interoven with the early history of America that it is difficult to narrate one without reference to the other. Among all the industries that helped to make this country one of the great commercial nations of the world, there was none which exerted such an important influence upon the early prosperity of the colonies as that which was represented by those who took pelts of fur bearing animals and prepared them for manufacture in its various articles for the use of man­ kind. It was the rich peltries that attracted many of the hardy British and "snch adventurers to the shores of America. In the early days of the history of our country, it was the hunter and trapper who explored the Unkncwn regions in their journeys to the distant and inacessible parts tbs land to obtain furs. In order that they might have a haven of afety to store their pelts and rest secure from the Indians, they established '^H stations which later some of them grew into prosperous settlements. It *as the fur trader who was the real pioneer in North America. He al\vays *a5 in advance of civilization and led the way for the settlements of the lQ Unt m by establishing trails and giving reports on places. 2- 186 The French pioneersof Canadian territory soon found the value of fur trading, especially with the Indians. The Indians were ignorant of the real value of pelts and for a few trinkets ©r terms, they disposed of their pelts with great profit to the fur traders. This practice was so much abused that a licensing system was adopted. This also was later abused. The Hudson Bay Company 1670. Competition in the fur business became keener and the British fur merch­ ants in New York began to encroach upon the Canadian trade. This condition along with others brought into existence the Hudson Bay Company formed in England in 1670. It was chartered by King Charles II of England and had the exclusive priviledge of planting trading stations on the shores of the Hudson Bay and all its tributaries. A century later when the French lost their Canadian colonies, the British took control of the fur trade in America. > Indirectly the fur trade was one of the causes which led to the final stru­ ggle in the French and Indian War at the Battle of Quebeck, Canada,Sept. 1759 when General Wolfe of England decisioned Gen.Montcalm of France. The treaty which followed in 1763, France ceded all of Canada and east of the Mississippi River to England, so England the American colonies had full sway of the fur trade for 200 years. After the French relinquished their rIghts in 1763, the Hudson Bay Ccbmpany grew rapidly and expanded their derations especially in the British Northwest. It exerted a powerful in­ fluence on the affairs of the Dominion of Canada before Canada became a u°»inion. At Its peak the company had 3000 employees. Aa immigration in­ cased,the trapping territory was invaded more, so the company sold its ei>ritory fo the Dominion of Canada. Trapping had to give way to the ionizers. - After Marly 50(3 years the Hudson Bay Company is still doing bu si-ness. Its headquarters are in Winnipeg, Canada, and it has 196 out- **i!£& -some of which are located in the most far-removed reaches of Canada. 3. i oj VQ colonization is not feasible. According to reports the Hudson Bay fflpany sold approximately three million beaver skins on the London market D«t*ee n the years 1853-77. The Northwestern Pur Company. 1783-1821. ipne Ivorthwestern Fur Company was started on a cooperative basis and was agnized in Montreal, Canada in 1783. The stockholders were a group of Scotti: or0 ttish merchants. Later the company was amalgamated with a rival company 3co in. 1787 and became the famous Northwest Company. The company begand to expand its operations and came In direct (6'onflict with the Hudson Bay Company and later with the American Pur Company. At its maximum operations the company employed about 2000 persons as clerks,guides, interpreters, and boatmen. These were distributed at various trading posts established for and wide on the interior lakes, and rivers at long distances from each other in the heart of the trackless countries and savage tribes. Their famous annual Council Place was at Ft. Willi am, a considerable village on the banks of bake Superior/ The competition with the Hudson Bay and other companies was so keen that 'at times there was actual warfare. The Hudson Bay and the Northwestern did each other so much damage that they merges in 1921 under the name of the "-udson Bat Company. The enlarged company extended its operations and cane B°re into the territory of the American Fur Trappers. The Missouri, Pur Trading Company KI808J In 1796 the government of the United States began to look with concern n fche growing influence of foreigners with our own Indian tribes in the t A >* * rritories. Government agents were sent out to establish rival trading " ations but without success. The acquisition of the bousiana territory in I803 by our government from Napoleon, Framce excited keen interest h / Resident Thomas Jefferson in expansion and exploration of the new lands succeeded in getting an appropriation of £2500.00 from Congress to send xPedltion to explore our new territory to the Pacific Coast. His private 4. 1^8 cretary, Meriwether Lewis with William Clark as his Lieutenant were appointed Dead the expedition. '• " In the spring of 1804 the; with a company of about forty men started agtward from the mouth of the Missouri River. They ascended the river to its urce, crossed the "Great Divide" of the Rockies and descended the Columbia River in the summer of 1805 and reached the Pacific Ocean. The mouth of the [0Xumbia River had been discovered by Captain Grey of Boston in 1791 on his bjlp Columbia. The river was named Columbia after Captain Grey's ship. £ewis and Clark made their return journey in 1806. Their report excited much interest throughout the country. Major Andrew Henry, a native son of Virginia, but an adopted son of Missouri, organized the Missouri Fur and Trading Company at St.Louis in 1808. In 1809 he selected a group of brave hunters and trappers and went into the Wild /vest, by way of the Missouri River over the Lewis and Clark route. Ee established the first American Trading Post In the Rockies at Three Forks, «on tana at the head waters of the Missouri River. Major Henry and his party ran into stiff opposition from the -lackfeet Indians. An Indian of the Tribe had been killed previously by Cap­ tain Lewis en his return trip in 1806 and the Blackfeet Tribe was determined t° get revenge. A similar act was to repeat itself later with another sroup of American trappers. It was the opinion that the Indians had been in­ cited by traders of the Northwest Company, a rival British organization, W&t did not want competition in this area. Major Henry and his group had to ^don the Post at Tnree Porks but did not retreat entirely. They crossed ne Contlnantal Divide and located another Post farther south on the north aficb. of the Snake River, later named Henry's Pork not far from where St. ^thony is rl0W located in Idaho. The Blackfeet Indians were determined to dislodge the brave traders and r enew ed their fighting and killed some of -henry's men. The little band was not nS enough to withstand such opposition. Major Sepry decided the time was PlPe for his venture, Ee withdrew temporarily out of the Rockies and 5. i 'iU- ated down the Yellowstone River'into the Missouri ana to St.Louis with 10' *>&nt7 C?S'ree°offHenry's men decided to remain in the mountains a littlo three old Kentucky hunters, Edward RObinson, John Hoback, . They were long er ,b Rezner. Major Henry outfitted tn«m and tt» company baae them good ,4 3J.0O0 Iri left them or taeir own.