Author Archives: Swany

McGregor

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British Columbia. Former community
E side Fraser River, between Sinclair Mills and Upper Fraser, upstream of Prince George
54.0833 N 121.8333 W — Map 93I/4 — Google — GeoHack
Official in BC –

Named in association with McGregor River, in turn after Captain James Herrick McGregor [1869–1915], killed in action in World War I.

James Herrick McGregor became a Provincial Land Surveyor in 1891 and did much of the exploration and survey work in the area around this townsite.

Dewey Post Office was opened 1 February 1915. Dewey (Station) and Dewey (Post Office) labelled about 1 1/2 miles apart on BC map 3A, 1915 et seq, in Lots 3115A and 3111 respectively. Dewey Post Office was closed temporarily in January 1929 according to Melvin & Topping’s 1965 book The Post Offices of British Columbia. “Dewey (Post Office & Station), population 125, with school…” identified in the 1930 BC Gazetteer.

A considerable mis-sortation of mail is occurring due to similarity of Dewdney and Dewey post office names… residents requested change to Cornel, as post office is near Cornel Sawmills.” (April 1956 letter from Post Office Department, file P.1.47). Dewey Post Office renamed Cornel Mills Post Office 2 July 1956.

“We would like to call the community McGregor…150 people in residence now… likely will increase to 200…” (October 1965 letter from Northwood Pulp Ltd to Department of Municipal Affairs, file Mc.1.58). Advance notice that post office name would be changed provided in January 1966 letter from Post Office Department to Geographic Board. Cornel Mills Post Office renamed McGregor Post Office 11 April 1966. Post Office was closed 8 October 1970. At the time of closing, the post office was located in L3083, about 3 miles downstream from the original Dewey post office. (1)

References:

  • 1. British Columbia Geographical Names. McGregor

McGillivray map North West Company 1817

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A map exhibiting the principal trading stations of the North West Company, 1817

A map exhibiting the principal trading stations of the North West Company, 1817
University of British Columbia Library


A map exhibiting the principal trading stations of the North West Company,1817 [detail]

A map exhibiting the principal trading stations of the North West Company,1817 [detail]
University of British Columbia Library

A Map of America,
Between Latitudes 40° and 70° North, and Longitudes 80° and 150° West,
Exhibiting the Principal Trading Stations of the
North West Company.

The map appears in Notice respecting the boundary between His Majesty’s possessions in North America and the United States, 1817, a 12-page booklet attributed to Simon McGillivray [1785–1840]. [1] McGillivray played a role in merging the family-owned North West Company with the rival Hudson’s Bay Company in 1821.

This map is similar to Sax’s map of North America, 1818.

This map is cited by Ernest Voorhis [1859–1933] in Historic Forts and Trading Posts as Map No. 5, “America exhibiting principal trading stations of North West Co. in Davidson’s North West Co., London 1817” [2]. Gordon Charles Davidson [1884–1922] published The North West Company in 1918, containing the same map [3].

This map includes:
Athabasca Country
Athabasca Pass
Canoe River
Canoe Encampment [A NWC post indicated here]
Finlay River [as “Finlay’s Bra.”]
Fraser River [as “Fraser’s R.”]
Mackenzie River [as “MacKenzie Riv.”]
Peace River [as “Unjigah or Peace R.”]
Unjigah River [as “Unjigah or Peace R.”]

Tribes
Atnah Indians
Beaver Indians
Blackfoot Indians
Blood Indians
Kootana Indians
Nagailer Indians
Nanscud Denees
Rocky Mountain Indians
Snake Indians [or Snare Indians, “now destroyed”]
Snav Indians
Stony Indians
References:

  • 1. McGillivray, Simon [1785–1840], attributed. Notice respecting the boundary between His Majesty’s possessions in North America and the United States; with a map of America, between latitudes 40° and 70° North, and longitudes 80° and 150° West; exhibiting the principal trading stations of the North-West Company; and intended to accompany the narrative of occurrences in the Indian countries of North America, connected with the Earl of Selkirk, the Hudson’s Bay and the North-West Companies. London: B. McMillan, 1817. University of British Columbia Library
  • 2. Voorhis, Ernest [1859–1933]. Historic Forts and Trading Posts of the French Régime and of the English Fur Trading Companies. Ottawa: Department of the Interior, 1930. University of British Columbia Library [accessed 3 January 2026]
  • 3. Davidson, Gordon Charles [1884–1922]. The North West Company. Reissued 1967 by Russell & Russell, 1918. HathiTrust [accessed 21 January 2026]

Anderson, Alexander Caulfield

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Alex Caulfield Anderson [ca. 1865]

Alex Caulfield Anderson [ca. 1865]
BC Archives A-01076

Alexander Caulfield Anderson
b. 10 March 1814 — Calcutta, India
d. 8 May 1884 — Victoria, B.C.

Anderson was educated in England and joined the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1831 as an apprentice clerk. After a year of service at Lachine, he was assigned to various HBC posts throughout the northwest, including Fort Vancouver, Fort McLoughlin, Fraser Lake, Fort George, Fort Nisqually, Fort Alexandria, and Fort Colvile.

In 1832 the HBC assigned Anderson to the Columbia fur trade district. Accompanying the Columbia express brigade, Anderson crossed the Athabasca Pass in October.

He was promoted to chief trader in 1846, and would have been made chief factor had he been willing to accept a post in New Caledonia. Between 1846 and 1847, in response to the Oregon boundary issue, Anderson led three exploring expeditions in an attempt to find a route, from the HBC post at Kamloops to the HBC post Fort Langley, which would fall entirely within British territory.

He retired from the Company in 1854, and settled with his wife Eliza Birnie, whom he married in 1837, in Cathlamet, Washington. They eventually had 13 children. In 1858 Anderson was persuaded by James Douglas [1803–1877], governor of Vancouver Island and of the crown colony of British Columbia, to accept the position of postmaster of Victoria; he later served briefly as collector of customs, and also had various business interests in Victoria. In 1876 he was appointed as both Dominion inspector of fisheries and the federal representative on the Dominion-Provincial Joint Commission on Indian Land in British Columbia. His appointment to this commission ended in 1878. Anderson was considered scholarly, and wrote several reports, articles and manuscripts about the history of the northwest coast. [1, 2, 3]

Works pertinent to the Mount Robson region of which Anderson was author or co-author:

  • —   British Columbia Archives. A. C. Anderson papers MS-0559 (1834–1884). BC Archives [accessed 3/10/2025]
  • —   The Dominion at the West. A brief description of the province of British Columbia, its climate and resources. Victoria: Printed by R. Wolfenden, Government Printer, 1872. University of British Columbia Library [accessed 3/10/2025]
Events in the Mount Robson region in which Anderson was involved:

  • 1832 A. C. Anderson crosses Athabasca Pass with Columbia express
References:

  • 1. Anderson, Alexander Caulfield [1814–1884]. British Columbia Archives. A. C. Anderson papers MS-0559 (1834–1884). BC Archives [accessed 10 March 2025]
  • 2. Anderson, Nancy Marguerite [1946–]. The Pathfinder: A.C. Anderson’s Journeys in the West. Heritage House, 2011
  • 3. Wikipedia. Alexander Caulfield Anderson