James “Jim” Finley In the Pacific Northwest in 1794 By Chalk Courchane James was born probably at Upper Bow Fort, Saskatchewan in 1794. And with his brothers, he trapped and hunted with his father in his youth. He is probably Jacques Raphael, Junior. It is not known if he was a member of the Snake Country Brigades for the Hudson's Bay Company. He may be identified by a nickname not usually connected to him such as: Klaykick or Pinesta who are referred to as members of the brigades. Wade Thomson wrote in a letter dated 8 Dec 1986: "Pichina and James were quite active in the late 1820's and early 30's at Jasper House as free men doing odd jobs for the Post, then going on their fur trapping hunts over the Winter and Spring. They had horses like most of the Freemen at the Post." The Journal of Michael Klyne at Jasper House, October 2, 1827: (The post was originally named Rocky Mountain House, but was renamed to avoid confusion with the Roky Mountain House trading post on the North Saskatchewan River, becoming "Jasper's House" after the postmaster, Jasper Hawes, who operated the post from 1814 to 1817. The first location is believed to have been at the outlet of Brûlé Lake, downstream from the present site. The second Jasper House was established at the northern end of Jasper Lake in 1830, primarily serving travellers crossing Yellowhead Pass or Athabasca Pass. The site operated until 1853, and was occasionally used until 1858 when it was reopened seasonally by Henry John Moberly, who operated it into the 1860s. The post was officially closed in 1884 after years of inactivity. From 1891 or 1892 to 1894 the house was used by miner Lewis Swift. The building was destroyed in 1909 when its lumber was used to make a raft by surveyors for the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. Apart from a small cemetery, no significant ruins remain. It was designated a national historic site in 1924, and is marked by a commemorative stone and plaque.) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia "In the afternoon they (the Iroquois) arrived but they have some more time to lose at La Rocque house ------ those skins they brought up in the canoes. Jacquo off with them he left some horses that he could not find and all the mares .. for Loyer will be off tomorrow with James (Finley) as sure they ---- all off. I received the Iroquois beavers say 380 small and large. I gave them each a few drams with each one quart rum for their good hunt of beaver. If the Iroquois leave this place the returns will be very little and I hope they will make a martin hunt. This winter for the first time they promise to make one." "Sept. 24th, Thursday 1827 Cloudy weather wth some rain. I received the Iroquois and freemen 360 martin and a few foxes, a few wolverines, a few cats, and a few beaver skins. In the evening Antoine arrived from the fishing lake he brought 20 white fish -- Antoine Cardinal arrived from Moose Lake him and ---Finley they killed only 8 beavers, they found a band of Shuswaps in Moose river they had work those beaver lodge in the Fall that means to say I have those beaver skins all ready in the store they had four more that he traded with some ammunition and a little tobacco I gave him." “Wedy 24th October 1827) the weather as yesterday Beauchamp and Bidux employed to gumming the canoe. Antoine Auger (Azure) to tie up the beaver skins and myself receiving Morrigeau furs he gave me 52 large beavers and 24 beavers for money (“paid up debt with 52 beaver and received money for the rest.” Wade Thomson) and Edward Berland sent from the other end of the portage 50 large beavers and 7 small ditto with a few small furs for money after his Debt paid ---.” (The above may be Azure although there were Augers in the fur trade to.) “Thursy (Oct. 25th, 1827 at Jaspers House: “Still fine weather. Early this morning Beauchamp and Bidux embarked 578 beavers all ready received and 96 beavers from Morrigeau and Edward Berland for money in the afternoon. James and Loyer that I left to kill a few more beavers arrived with 8 beavers more – left the mares at Mr. LaRocque well ----?” “Sun 28th Snowing last night almost four inches but the weather is mild. James Finley killed two sheep ---.” “Mony 21st (February 1828) fine weather Jacquo off for some horses to be off tomorrow with the hunter, down the river in the afternoon. James Finley wife arrives to ask for some thing to eat this is two days that her children did not eat and the man off hunting and not arrived as yet. I gave her #100 fresh meat and they lost no time and went off to her lodge.” “Wed 23rd (February 1828) Cloudy weather Pickenas and James Finley arrived to pick up to --- LaRocquethere they will live upon sheep if there are no large animals. (Pickenas is Patrick Finley) November 29, 1829 “Tuesy 24th Cloudy weather in the evening. My boy arrived brought 90 beaver skins that he traded from the Soushaps. James Finley arrived with Mr. Pambrun family and two men he told me that the same day that the men arrived there that he got the horses killed and embarked. all the leather lost no time went off.” “Fri 27th fine weather all most the same I made agreement with Antoine Cardinal to kill me 10 animals as my hunter is off for Edmonton the same time he went off hunting for three days.” “Suny 29th. Still fine weather in the Evening. James arrived brought 30 white fish he left Dick there to come with some fish tomorrow.” Mony 30th. Snowing hard all day in the evening Dick Coulin arrived brought only 10 fish.” (Richard Collins, born about 1793 in Canada and died in the December of 1865. He was the son of Joseph Collins and Josephte Saulteaux. He married Genevieve Bruyere on October 13, 1843 in Fort des Prairie, Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta, Canada. Genevieve Bruyere, born about 1810 and died in the December of 1865 in Saskatchewan, Canada. She was the daughter of Jean Baptiste Bruyere and Francoise Serpent.) December 1829 “Tuesy 1st. Still snowing and cold. I sent James and Dick once more to the fishing lake.” “Wedy 16th. Blowing very hard all day. James Finley pushed off for his winter quarter. I am ready to be off tomorrow.” March 1830 “Suny 28th. Blowing very hard James Finley and Dick Coulin took Debt to go and make their Spring hunts across the mountain and went off. I sent the Boy with one band of mares to bring them to the fishing lake.” "Sept. 21st 1830 - `James Finley and Morrigeau went off.' James had arrived with Dick Coulin (a HBC Freeman) and had arrived the 15th with 100 beaver from Fraser River. Morrigeau had arrived the 10th with 70 beaver. He is mentioned along with Pichina off and on from 1827 to 1831 around Jasper House, doing some trading, trapping and odd jobs.---" (Morrigeau is Francois Morigeau and Pichina is Patrick Finley.) October 1830 “Wedy 13th. Those three days blowing very hard. Yesterday I sent two nets. This morning I took 20 white fish. In the evening James Finley and Dick Coulin two freemen arrived from Fraser River they brought me 100 beaver.” November 1830 “Tuesy 16th. Still cold weather. Morrigeau a freeman arrived from B. (Berland) River to let me know that he is to leave that place to go and pass his winter at the Smocy (Smokey) River with James (Finley) one band of Assiniboins arrived at his lodge starving. Remains there he will starve also and kill no fur. Evening the hunter arrived brought two sheep.” . Jasper House 1872. Notice the long rifles, the hats and thick clothing and notice the photographer's (Charles Horetzky) shadow in the foreground. http://www.jasperjournal.com/jaspergallery/d/536-3/NYPL-archives-Jasper-House-Horetsky.jpg In 1830, Michael Klyne rebuilt the dilapidated Jasper House at a new site further up the Athabasca River, near the point where it becomes Jasper Lake. In 1846, the artist Paul Kane described Jasper House, which consisted of only of three miserable log huts. The dwelling-house is composed of two rooms, of about fourteen or fifteen feet square each. “One of them is used by all comers and goers: Indians, voyageurs, and traders, men, women, and children being huddled together indiscriminately; the other room being devoted to the exclusive occupation of Colin Fraser and his family, consisting of a Cree squaw, and nine interesting half-breed children. One of the other huts is used for storing provisions in, when they can get any, and the other I should have thought a dog-kennel had I seen many of the canine species about. This post is kept up only for the purposes of supplying horses to parties crossing the mountains. Jasper House in its various incarnations had a profound impact on wildlife in the Athabasca Valley. Prolonged hunting pressure associated with the need to supply food for Jasper House traders, their families, and passing brigades had reduced bighorn sheep and moose populations. Father De Smet’s account of his visit to Jasper House, also in 1846, gives us an idea of the nature of the problem. He observed that during twenty-six days, Jasper House hunters killed twelve moose, two caribou, thirty bighorn sheep, two porcupines, 210 hares, a beaver, two muskrats, twenty- four geese, 115 ducks, twenty-one pheasants, a snipe, an eagle, an owl, thirty to fifty whitefish a day, and twenty trout.