Living History at Fort Nisqually

Living history has a nice ring, doesn’t it? What exactly is living history? According to Dictionary.com, it is “any of various activities involving the re-enactment of historical events or the recreation of living conditions of the past.”

At Fort Nisqually on Puget Sound, these activities, events, and recreations enable visitors to experience what it was like as a resident in 1855. How neat is that? This living history museum features Heritage Skills Workshops where individuals can learn butchering/curing, leather working, cup or mug making, creating candlesticks or wall sconces, and basketry. The methods and tools used are representative of that period. Fort Nisqually also hosts camps and holiday events. In the fall, take a Candlelight Walking Tour, by candle and firelight. At Christmas there is a Regale. Imagine Christmas festivities from the end of the 19th century - parlor games, making ornaments, harvesting the Yule log, creating pomanders (oranges decorated with cloves), and a visit from Father Christmas.

Where is Fort Nisqually located? For reference, Puget Sound is a 95-mile-long estuary, the second largest in the United States. In the state of Washington and connecting to the Pacific Ocean, it flows past notable cities such as Seattle and Tacoma. It has an average depth of 450 feet! This waterway was the attraction for the location. The fort is in present day DuPont, WA.

Originally owned by the Hudson Bay Company, a British enterprise, the fort was a site for the fur trade since 1833. It was the first settlement with global access. Once the fur trade declined, another income avenue was necessary – commerce. The Puget Sound Agricultural Company (PSAC) had 160,000 acres to grow crops and raise livestock from 1839 – 1869. The time that current visitors witness, 1855, was an era where American settlements surrounded the British of this site. The year 1869 is when Britain left the territory and the remaining manager, Edward Huggins took it over as his homestead.

How does it exist today? The Works Progress Administration (WPA) recreated the fort in the 1930s on this site. There are two original buildings, the Factor’s House (1855) and the Granary (1850). Visitors can view 20 locations allowing insight into daily life during those times. The kitchen, wash house, root cellar, smoke house, necessary, kitchen garden, poultry house, laborer’s dwelling, bastion (photo above), and store are a few of the sites. A self-guided tour is possible using a free downloadable or printed guide. However, history comes to life with demonstrations, tours by docents in costume, and events.

Granary featured above. Produce and grain stored here. It is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places. The first of the original buildings on site.

Factor House parlor featured above left and parents' bedroom above right. This is the second original building at the fort. Examples of furniture, linens, dishes, decorations, tools, games, clothing, and more allow us to peek into many aspects of their days. 

In case you haven't visited a similar site before, you might wonder at points in the fort that have different functions than those of today. You may know that kitchens were separate from the house to prevent fires and root cellars stored food. The kitchen garden supported the settlement, with vegetables and fruit they would eat to be self-sufficient. There were field crops and orchards outside the palisade walls. The poultry house held chickens, ducks, and geese. 

The Laborer's dwelling was interesting. There was a side for bachelors with bunks and quarters for families. The parents shared their beds with children, or the young used mats on the floor. At left is a representation of a room that a laboring family would share. Notice the basics covered in one room, sleep, dress, cook, eat, and more. The Large Store held imported supplies and storage of those that would be shipped for sale. There was also a Sale Shop with imported goods for purchase. See images below.

Ever wonder at the creation of men's felt top hats? The beaver pelt at left is the raw material. After a lengthy process, the felt hat emerges. As a site for the fur trade. This was once a huge commodity.

One of the reasons I enjoy historical fiction is reading stories that show everyday life in varying times. How did they dress, eat, or gather? What objects or tools existed to enable them to function? This living history site offers visual representations that help garner appreciation and understanding. Have you visited an historical site with a window into the past?

As a child, Rebecca loved to write. She nurtured this skill as an educator and later as an editor for an online magazine. Rebecca then joined the Cru Ministry - NBS2GO/Neighbor Bible Studies 2GO, at its inception. She serves as the YouVersion Content Creator, with over 125 Plans, in 44 languages on the Bible.com app.

Rebecca lives near the mountains with her husband and a rescued dog named Ranger. She is a proud mom of a soldier. If it were up to Rebecca, she would be traveling - right now. First up, trips to see their two grown sons. As a member of ACFW and FHLCW, she tackles the craft of fiction while learning from a host of generous writers. Connect with Rebecca: Facebook Goodreads Instagram Pinterest X/Twitter

Dreams and Destinies at Michilimackinac

And I'm doing a giveaway this week! Scroll down to the end of the article for more informaiton.

In January I wrote about the history of Colonial Michilimackinac, a fort that was built by the French, taken over by the British, and then destroyed once it was moved to a more strategic location on Mackinac Island. But what was the fate of two fur traders during the surprise attack in 1763? One, Charles de Langlade, was Metis—of French and Odawa ancestry. The other man, Alexander Henry, was born in in the colony of New Jersey. 

Portrait of Alexander Henry. (C-1036121—National Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario) - http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/story/chap3.htm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19621668

Henry worked during the French and Indian War, as a merchant in Albany, New York, supplying the British troops. A fur trader told him of the riches to be had on Lake Superior and at Michilimackinac in the fur trade. He traveled to the area, disguised as a voyageur because he’d been warned of the enmity between the English and the Ojibwa. And, later his life was saved because a minor Ojibwa chief, Wawatam, had a dream about making an Englishman his brother and he was adopted by Wawatam. 

Charles de Langlade had been educated by Jesuits, but his first language was Odawa. When he was ten years old, his uncle, the war chief, Nissowaquet, had a dream that if they took the boy into battle with them, they would win. Thus began his military career as he went into battle that day against the Chickasaw. By then his father had established a fur trading post in what is now Wisconsin.

Voyageurs in a canoe, "Quetico Superior Route, passing a waterfall," By Frances Anne Hopkins - This image is available from Library and Archives Canada, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2248108

As an adult he led Native Americans and fought on the side of the French during the French and Indian Wars. He was well respected by the native peoples. As tensions mounted between the French and English in the 1740s, de Langlade stayed with the French. He distinguished himself in a battle against pro-British forces and a British fur trader. He was awarded a pension and appointed as an Indian agent. 

In 1750 he married Agathe, an Odawa woman, and started his family. Nobody knows what actually happened to this relationship but it was dissolved and he married again, this time to Charlotte Bourassa, a wealthy merchant’s daughter from Montreal. 

During the 1750s, he continued to side with the French during the French and Indian War. Governor Duquesne asked him to raise up an armed force from the native peoples. He went on to lead them into victory over the British General Edward Braddock in Pennsylvania. After the war was won by the British, de Langlade settled in at Fort Michilimackinac as second in command of the French forces.

After New France passed into British rule, they also took over the fort. By October of that year the French had evacuated. However, Charles de Langlade remained as a fur trader and his family stayed with him.

Inside Fort Michilimackinac, by Left Hook~commonswiki, 2006 [cc]

In 1763, the local Ojibwa, as part of Chief Pontiac’s uprising, took part in a surprise attack on Fort Michilimackinac. They invited the English to watch them play Baggatiway, a game much like lacrosse, during festivities of the English king’s birthday. When a ball went through the open gates the native American warriors collected the knives and tomahawks hidden beneath the blankets their wives had wrapped around themselves, despite the June weather. 

Charles de Langlade had warned the commanding officer, George Etherington of the likelihood of attack. Safe inside with his family, de Langlade waited things out. 

By this time, Alexander Henry was his next door neighbor. He watched through his window as the English were led away to slaughter while those of French Canadian descent were left alone. He hurried to de Langlade’s door and pleaded for protection. De Langlade basically asked Henry what he wanted him to do about it, in French. However his Panis (a Pawnee captured and enslaved by another tribe) slave girl took pity on Henry and hid him in the attic. 

"Ball Players," by George Catlin - [1], Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1897895

The next day the Ojibwa found him and he was taken with other prisoners and forced into a canoe. The hungry prisoners were taunted by the warriors offering them bread spread with blood from their knives. 

Due to fog, the canoe wound up at what is now Cross Village, where some Odawa were encamped, rather than their intended destination. The Odawa were angry not to have been asked to take part in the raid. They seized the Ojibwa’s prisoners and took them back to the fort. Eventually, they were released into the hands of the Ojibwa.

This is where Wawatam, recognizing Henry as the man from his dream, adopted him as his brother. Henry later found several of the other prisoners he’d been with had been executed. Henry went on to write of his adventures in the memoir, Travels and Adventures in Canada and the Indian Territories between the years 1760 and 1776, for which he became quite well known. 

Both he and de Langlade went on to live full lives. De Langlade made Green Bay his permanent home and fought on the British side during the Revolutionary War. 

Alexander Henry settled in Montreal as a merchant, still connected to the fur trade, after he left Michilimackinac in 1781. He’d left his Native American family behind and married Julia Kittson in 1785. He went on to make and lose at least one fortune. 

I found it very interesting how the lives of these two men intersected at Fort Michilimackinac. Though from distinctly different backgrounds, they had much in common. 

Whether de Langlade wanted to eliminate competition to his fur trade or was antagonistic toward Henry for another reason, no one knows why he denied help to his neighbor during the surprise attack. But as we can see, God had other plans for rescuing Henry and we can rest assured His plans are good for us even when they don't seem to make sense. 

Do you have a favorite historical place you’ve visited and have been fascinated by its story? Please share in the comments below! 

Kathleen Rouser is the award-winning author of Rumors and Promises, her first novel about the people of fictional Stone Creek, Michigan, and the novella, The Pocket Watch. She is a longtime member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Kathleen has loved making up stories since she was a little girl and wanted to be a writer before she could even read. She longs to create characters who resonate with readers and realize the need for a transforming Savior in their everyday lives. She lives in Michigan with her hero and husband of 36 years, and the sassy tail-less cat who found a home in their empty nest. Connect with Kathleen on her website at kathleenrouser.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kathleenerouser/, and on Twitter @KathleenRouser.

Please leave a comment by Friday, Feb. 23, 2018 for the chance to win a copy of either Rumors and Promises or Secrets and Wishes, winner's choice. U.S. winner only will be eligible to receive a paperback copy, Kindle copy available for an international winner.

An Unburied Historical Treasure: Colonial Fort Michilimackinac

As you walk through the opening in the palisades into historic Fort Michilimackinac you are transported back to Colonial America. You wouldn’t guess that the structures had been rebuilt within the last century.

During the summer, the return of the voyageurs is reenacted often. In fact, this wooden fort, strategically placed on the Straits of Mackinac, at the northern tip of Michigan’s lower peninsula was built more for the fur trade than defense. Michilimackinac was established in 1715 by the French.

Over the years scholars have disputed the meaning of the name Michilimackinac. Most have believed the name to mean “The Great Turtle” as this was considered the shape of Mackinac Island. In 1887, Andrew J. Blackbird, an Odawa historian wrote that the area was named as a memorial to an extinct tribe known as the “Mi-shi-ne-macki naw-go.” 

View of Straits of Mackinac and entrance into the reconstruction of Fort Michilimackinac from
inside by Aldryd, 2006 [CC] from Wikimedia Commons.

Voyageurs and traders came from Montreal to meet at Michilimackinac with trappers who’d traveled farther west to obtain pelts. Many Native Americans lived in a close by community, also trading at the outpost. There were many peaceful years and friendly relations between the French and Native Americans, such as the Odawa tribe.

The thriving church of Ste. Anne also had a place in the fort. Today there are reenactments of an 18^th century wedding each day the fort is open to visitors.

After the British victory in the French and Indian War, the British took charge of the fort. Because of their poor treatment of the Native Americans, this did not sit well with the local tribes. Along with the fact that they had recently fought on the same side as the French, which didn’t help the relationship with the British either.

Backyards in Ft. Michilimackinac by grggrssmr, 2009 [cc]
from Wikimedia Commons

The French and Metis (Ojibwa and French) civilians along with British fur traders stayed there after the transfer of power. The British continued to maintain its operation as a fur trading outpost.

A young, perhaps rather naïve commanding officer, Captain George Etherington, was sent with his regiment in 1761 and took command of Michilimackinac in 1762. 

Invited by the Ojibwa to watch a game of baggatiway (a game similar to lacrosse), under the guise of celebrating King George III’s birthday, Captain Etherington was shocked when the Ojibwa pulled a surprise attack.

Cannon shot at the fort by Snaplucky, 2017, [cc]
Wikimedia Commons

After their wooden ball wound up in the fort. Ojibwa women wrapped in blankets waited on the sidelines, hiding knives to pass to their men. The warriors entered the fort, killing most of its English inhabitants. At least twenty-seven British men were killed between the attack and those executed later. Perhaps a dozen others were held as prisoners. Etherington and his lieutenant survived the attack but were held captive.

This coup had been planned by Native Americans working with Chief Pontiac, whose rebellion was designed to oust the British from the areas they controlled. The Native Americans held Michilimackinac for a year and then the British regained control after bearing gifts and making promises of better treatment.

Fort Michilimackinac didn’t have a higher vantage point from where to observe oncoming enemies and the wooden palisades were difficult and expensive to keep in repair. In 1781, the British built a brand-new fort on Mackinac Island with limestone walls in an area which could be well-defended. (If you’ve ever walked up the many steps to Fort Mackinac on an 85-degree day you know what I’m talking about!)

Inside the fort by Eli Duke, 2004, [cc]
Wikimedia Commons

After overseeing the construction of Fort Mackinac, Patrick Sinclair, the lieutenant governor of Michilimackinac, ordered the burning of Fort Michilimackinac. It’s days as a fur trading post were over.

Archaeological excavations of the site began in 1959 and led to rebuilding many important buildings in Fort Michilimackinac. Today, excavations continue and the fort is overseen and cared for as part of Mackinac Island State Parks. If you’d like a firsthand experience of colonial life on the straits at the northern tip of Michigan’s lower peninsula you will enjoy the reenactments, sites, and daily activities offered during the tourist season.

Kathleen Rouser is the award-winning author of Rumors and Promises, her first novel about the people of fictional Stone Creek, Michigan. She is a longtime member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Kathleen longs to create characters who resonate with readers and realize the need for a transforming Savior in their everyday lives. She lives in Michigan with her hero and husband, and the sassy tail-less cat who found a home in their empty nest. Connect with Kathleen on her website at kathleenrouser.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/kathleenerouser/, and on Twitter @KathleenRouser

More than fists fly after a fight between Philip and Zeke. When their widowed parents, Maggie Galloway and Thomas Harper meet they can’t seem to agree on much.
But when he is deathly ill, Maggie nurses him back to health, and takes his children in hand. Growing affection between them is quickly denied by both. An old beau appears offering Maggie a new opportunity. But then tragedy strikes the town and Thomas and Maggie find themselves working together to save the children of Stone Creek from a huckster’s potion. As Maggie considers leaving town, Thomas wants to offer her an alternative. Is he too late to declare his love to the angel of mercy who has captured his heart?

Northwest Fur Trader Post

Erica Vetsch here:

Would you believe that US history was greatly influenced by a rodent?

Yep, the rodent known as Castor canadensis changed the course of US history. The humble North American Beaver.

By Steve from washington, dc, usa - American Beaver, CC BY-SA 2.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3963858

Because of the demand for beaver-felt hats, voyagers from many European countries ventured into the unknown wilderness of the interior of North America, set up trading posts, and brought furs back to the cities of American and Europe. They traded blankets, cookware, beads, guns, and more to the Indians of the Great Lakes region in exchange for beaver, bear, fox, mink, fisher, wolf, mountain lion, ermine and more.

All goods had to be brought in via canoe and portage (carrying it!) and brought out the same way. Hundreds of miles of paddling and packing. Packs weighed hundreds of pounds, ditto canoes, and there were no roads.

Here in the state of Minnesota, we have a fine example of a fur trader post that dates from the winter of 1804. Found on the banks of the Snake River near present-day Pine City, Minnesota, the trading post was occupied for only one year, then abandoned to fall into decay.

When the remains were re-discovered in 1931 by a local Pine City resident who, over the next two decades visited the site, taking a few artifacts that he discovered. In 1958 he informed the Minnesota Historical Society about his find, and they, along with students at Hamline University, excavated the site, discovering hundreds of artifacts. In 1970, the MNHS opened the rebuilt site as a living history museum, teaching patrons about both the Ojibwe tribes and the fur traders of the North West Company.

By Jonathunder - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11848495

The centerpiece of the site is the trading post itself, which is one long building surrounded by a stockade. The building was living quarters, office, storeroom, and trading post all in one. The quarters were adequate, but hardly spacious, and because they were deemed to be temporary, there was no luxury to be found. Everything was utilitarian, and anything not necessary was left behind, hence the large number of artifacts found when the site was being excavated more than one hundred fifty years after it was occupied.

By Themightyquill - Own work, CC BY 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2565094

Hundreds of voyagers and fur traders plied their trade in the Great Lakes region, joining up at places like Fort William in Thunder Bay, Canada, or Grand Portage in Minnesota for the annual rendezvous, a chance to catch up with other voyagers and to party!

From the mid 18th century through about 1830, the fur trade brought great wealth to the North West Company and her rivals. After 1830, with fashions changing in Europe and beaver populations declining in North America, the fur trade became much less lucrative. But for a period of about eighty years, beaver was king.

You can visit the North West Fur Trading Post in the summer months, and you can learn more about the post by visiting http://sites.mnhs.org/historic-sites/north-west-company-fur-post

Erica Vetsch is a transplanted Kansan now residing in Minnesota. She loves history and romance, and is blessed to be able to combine the two by writing historical romances. Whenever she’s not immersed in fictional worlds, she’s the company bookkeeper for the family lumber business, mother of two, wife to a man who is her total opposite and soul-mate, and avid museum patron.

You can visit her online at www.ericavetsch.com and on Facebook at Erica Vetsch Author
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York Boats

Those acquainted with North American history and the fur trade have no doubt heard of the rivalry between the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) and the North West Company (Nor' Westers). But did you know that while the Nor' Wester French-Canadians were skilled canoe builders, the HBC was made up mostly of Orkney men and Scottish Highlanders who weren't familiar with the birch tree, let alone how to make a birch-bark canoe?

Voyageurs with Birch Bark Canoe Greeting First Nations man, ca 1891. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives.

Instead, the Orcadians working for the HBC built boats they were familiar with, ones that drew on their Norse heritage like this full-scale replica of a Viking long ship.

Full-scale replica of a Viking snekkja based in Morąg, Poland. Courtesy of
commons.wikimedia.com and archiwum własne wikingów, Jarmeryk

Starting in 1749, the HBC built flat-bottomed York boats, 36-46 feet long, with pointed bows and angled sterns making beaching, launching and navigating the low inland waterways easier. The largest ones could carry up to 13,000 lbs of cargo. The boat was propelled by long, large oars which required the oarsmen to stand to push the oar forward and sit down to pull the stroke. When under sail, it was steered by a long steering pole or, when under sail, by a rudder. It had a crew of between six and eight men.

York Boats Under Sail, undated. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives.

The photo below shows the York boat being propelled by poling over shallow water areas like sand banks, etc. 

Klondikers poling a York boat up the Peace River, Alberta, ca 1899. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives.

With gold being discovered in the Klondike in 1896, and settlers wanting land for agricultural purposes, the Canadian government and the First Nations people signed Treaty No. 8 in 1899, with the last in the series being signed in 1914. In the following series of photographs, we see the interior of a York boat as shown by some of the participants of Treaty No. 8.

Mrs. C. West and Doctor Christopher H. West, some members of Treaty Party No. 8
 in a York Boat on the Peace River, 1903-1909. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives.

Daily ablutions were a necessary part of the journey and here in the next photograph you see how members carried out this task while still aboard the boat.

Doctor Christopher H. West having a wash on the side of a York boat on the Athabasca River, 
1903-1909. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives.

You can see the width of the York boat in this next photograph which also shows a steamer in action. I'm not sure who is pulling who, but it wasn't long after steamers started plying the same waterways that the era of York boats ended.

Treaty Party No. 8 crossing Great Slave Lake in a York Boat, 1903-1906.  Courtesy of Glenbow Archives.

Although a large boat, the angled bow and flat bottom enabled the York boat to be pulled onto shore with relative ease. 

Launching a York boat on to the Saskatchewan River at Prince Albert, ca 1907. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives.

As well as the oars, each York boat was equipped with a mast and a tarpaulin. Placing the oars in a pyramid shape enabled the tarpaulin to be placed over them for ample shelter during bad weather. 

Hislop and Nagle Company York boat sheltering from heavy winds on Great Slave Lake between
Fort Resolution and Fort Rae, Northwest Territories. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives.

In 1920, the Hudson's Bay Company celebrated its 250th anniversary. In honour of the occasion, an HBC historical pageant was held in Winnipeg. Below you see the York boat re-enactment. The funny thing is, many are dressed in the costumes of the North West Company's voyageurs. Also, the Mountie looks out of place since the North West Mounted police weren't even formed until 1874 and it was many years before they adopted the Stetson as their head wear. But I'm sure it was a very lively and colourful event. 

York boat crew, Hudson's Bay Company historical pageant, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 3 May 1920. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives.

The York boat shown below in this 1932 photo was built in 1920. It was the last York boat ever constructed for transportation purposes.

Last York boat, built in 1920, shown at HBC post Norway House, Manitoba, 1932. 

Courtesy of Glenbow Archives.

Some historical societies like Fort Edmonton Park have built new York boats for educational purposes. Although Fort Edmonton Park's original York boat can no longer be put in the water, they are in the process of building a new York boat which, once constructed, will take to the waters all summer long like the old one did. 

The following York Boat Construction video from the Fort Edmonton Park website shows the pain-staking detail involved with adding that first steamed plank using original tools and means.

I'll leave you with this final image of a York boat brigade crossing a Manitoba lake enroute to the HBC post at Norway House, Manitoba. Square-rigged sails blowing across a Canadian lake on Orcadian York boats modeled after a Viking long ship. You gotta love history.

York boat brigade under sail on Split Lake en route to HBC fort Norway House, Manitoba, 1906-1909. Courtesy of Glenbow Archives.

Fort Edmonton Park was asking for volunteers to help with the York boat construction - costume not required, nor carpentry experience. 

Would you have volunteered if you lived close? 

Is there a similar construction project going on in your area that you can share with us?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anita Mae Draper is retired from the Canadian Armed Forces and lives on the prairie of southeast Saskatchewan, Canada with her hubby of 30 plus years and the youngest of their four kids. Anita is pleased to announce that her short story, Here We Come A-Wassailing, published in A Cup of Christmas Cheer, Volume 4, Heartwarming Tales of Christmas Present, Guideposts Books, October 2014, is a finalist for the Word Guild's 2015 Word Awards. Anita is represented by Mary Keeley of Books & Such Literary Management. You can find Anita Mae at  www.anitamaedraper.com

Voyageurs and Coureurs de bois ~ Boatmen of the Old Northwest

The silence of the wooded river valley is broken by song. The happy strains of a jovial French tune waft through the forest like a carefree lark. A canoe full of men appears around a bend in the river, bringing with it a flash of bright color and the full-throated joy of the boaters’ song.

 

This would have been a common scene three hundred years ago along the forested rivers of Canada and America’s Old Northwest. The French speaking voyageurs and coureurs de bois were often the first Europeans to venture into lands that had heard only the languages of Native American tribes.

 

So who were these happy adventurers with their iconic scarlet toques (milled worsted caps), colorful neckerchiefs, and baggy pantaloons? Simply, they were 17th and 18th Century fur traders. Almost exclusively French or French Canadian, they made their living traversing the wooded wilderness of Canada and the American Northwest (the lands south of the Great Lakes) to trade furs and other goods with the Native American tribes.

 

The distinction between the coureur de bois (meaning “runner of the woods”) and the voyageur (meaning “traveler”) is slight, but important. Both men did basically the same job, but while the coureur de bois was an independent trapper/trader the voyageur was a paid employee of a fur company. The more freewheeling coureurs de bois often acted as explorers, venturing into lands never before seen by a European. A voyager was more restricted, bound to a route designated by whatever fur company employed him. By the late 1600s the French government, wanting to better control the fur trade in New France, began issuing permits to the traders. This move caused a sharp decline in the ranks of the coureurs de bois, incentivizing men looking to do this work to become hired voyageurs of the fur companies.

 

In either case, life for such a wilderness trader was not easy. A voyageur's typical workday consisted of fourteen hours of grueling physical exertion. Portages (transporting canoe and cargo overland)
were frequent. The average birch bark canoe weighted about three hundred pounds and carried a crew of four to six men. Besides helping to carry the canoe, each man was expected to carry at least two 90 lb bales of fur and provisions over a portage that could consist of several miles. Dangers were all around; wild animals, accidents with traps, and hostile Indians to name but a few. Drowning, broken limbs and hernias were common hazards for the voyager.

 

Voyageurs at camp

 

But in spite of the dangers and hardships, the voyageurs, in most part, were a jovial sort who would not have wished for any other life. Singing was a large part of the voyageur’s daily routine. They sang as they paddled down the rivers and while they trudged over the difficult portages. One old voyageur in his 70s is reported to have reminisced “I could carry, paddle, walk and sing with any man I ever saw. I have been twenty-four years a canoe man, and forty-one years in service; no portage was ever too long for me, fifty songs could I sing. I have saved the lives of ten voyageurs, have had twelve wives and six running dogs. I spent all of my money in pleasure. Were I young again, I would spend my life the same way over. There is no life so happy as a voyageur’s life!”

 

A highlight of the voyageur’s year was the rendezvous. Generally held in the autumn, the rendezvous was a gathering of voyageurs, coureurs de bois, and Native Americans for the purpose of transferring furs and other trading goods. For the most part, the rendezvous was a several day long celebration filled with singing, feasting, and merriment.

 

That happy tradition is kept alive today throughout Canada and America’s Great Lake states with various reenactments of the voyageur rendezvous. One such event, which I hope to attend this year, is held in early October in my home state of Indiana. The Feast of the Hunter’s Moon is held at historic Fort Ouiatenon on the banks of the Wabash River near Lafayette, Indiana.

 

Have you attended one of these festivals, or any other reenactment that depicts an important part of your state’s history? I’d love to hear about it!  






                                                                     

                                                                                

Ramona K. Cecil is a poet and award-winning author of historical fiction for the Christian market. A proud Hoosier, she often sets her stories in her home state of Indiana.

Check out her website at www.ramonakcecil.com