Author Archives: Swany

Hood’s map Oregon 1838

Map of the United States Territory of Oregon West of the Rocky Mountains. Hood 1838

Map of the United States Territory of Oregon West of the Rocky Mountains.
Hood 1838
RareMaps


Map of the United States Territory of Oregon West of the Rocky Mountains [detail] Hood 1838

Map of the United States Territory of Oregon West of the Rocky Mountains [detail]
Hood 1838
RareMaps

Map of the United States
Territory of Oregon
West of the Rocky Mountains

Exhibiting the various Trading Depots or Forts occupied by the British Hudson Bay Company connected with the Western and northwestern Fur Trade.

Compiled in the Bureau of Topographical Engineers from the latest authorities, under the direction of Col. J. J. Abert, by Wash: Hood.

1838

Showing Oregon Territory used during Congressional Debates about the Status of Oregon Country. The Hood map follows Aaron Arrowsmith’s map of 1834.

Hood’s landmark map of the Oregon Country was integral to political debates about the area, its place in the growing United States, and its boundary with Britain. It was made by Washington Hood, a Captain in the US Army and one of the first members of the fledgling Corps of Topographical Engineers, in 1838.

The map depicts North America west of the Mississippi River, which is not shown. In geography, the map closely follows Aaron Arrowsmith’s 1834 map of North America and adopts a similar, clean style. In the “Territory of Oregon,” a designation the area did not yet officially have, the Columbia River is the dominating feature, with forts and outposts of the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) marked. To the north, the “British Territory” is demarcated by a dotted and dashed line at the 49th parallel. The choice of this boundary was not clear cut and reveals the intense debates that occurred around the time this map was made regarding Oregon’s status within the United States.

This map includes:
Acton House [as “Acton or Rocky Mt. Ho.”]
Athabasca River [as “Athabasca or la Birche R.”]
Boat Encampment
Mount Brown [as “M. Browne 16,000 ft.”]
Canoe River
Committee Punch Bowl [as “Committees Ph. Bowl”]
Columbia River
Cranberry Lake
Fort St. James
Fort Fraser
Fort George
Henry’s House (1)
Mount Hooker [as “Mt. Hooker 15,700 ft.”]
Jasper House [as “Jaspens or Rocky Mn. Ho.”]
McLoud’s Fort
Moose Lake
Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountain House [as “Acton or Rocky Mt. Ho.”]
Smoky River
South Fork Fraser River [as “Gt. Fork”]

McLoud’s Fort

Alberta. fur trading fort
Peace River just below mouth of Smoky River (modern Peace River, Alberta)
56.2211 N 117.316 W GoogleGeoHack
Not currently an official name.
This fur trading fort appears on:
Arrowsmith’s map of HBC territory 1857

Ernest Voorhis [1859–1933] fort number 326 [1].

North West Co. fort on left bank of Peace river just below mouth of Smoky river, a few miles below Fort of the Forks. Was well-built- with a stockade and 5 bastions. After the union of 1821 the Hudson’s Bay Co. operated this fort for some time. It appears on their 1857 map No.8 also map No. 3. Built in 1791. An X.Y. Co. fort was built nearby.

Also see

References:

  • 1. 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, p. 107. University of British Columbia Library [accessed 3 January 2026]

Fort Lac d’Orignal

British Columbia.
Moose Lake
52.9569 N 118.9203 W — Map 083D15 — GoogleGeoHack
Not currently an official name.

Listed as fort number 275 in Ernest Voorhis [1859–1933], Historic Forts [1] :

A small North West Co. post west of Yellowhead Pass on present Moose lake near Tête Jaune Cache, enlargement of Fraser river.

References:

  • 1. 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, p. 94. University of British Columbia Library [accessed 3 January 2026]

Fort Hudson’s Hope

British Columbia.
On Peace River at the mouth of Middle River (Pine River?)
56.0258 N 121.9136 W — Map 094A04 — GoogleGeoHack
Name officially adopted in 1982
Topo map from Canadian Geographical Names

Listed as post no. 227 in Ernest Voorhis [1859–1933], “Historic Forts” [1] :

Originally this was a North West Co. fort on the north bank of Peace river at the mouth of Middle river. Built by Simon Fraser 1805 as a base for his British Columbia explorations. It was known as “Rocky Mountain House, or Fort”, also as “Old Hudson’s Hope”, and “Rocky Mountain Portage Fort”. This post was operated by the Hudson’s Bay Go. after the coalition of 1821. I was abandoned for a time in 1825 to punish the Indians for the massacre at St. John in 1823. New Hudson’s Hope was built about 1875 on the south bank about 12 miles further upstream from Old Hudson’s Hope, at the east end of the portage, near east end of Cañon at its foot. Sometime after 1880 this post was again moved to its present location on the north side. Harmon in his journal 1810, October 15th, calls Hudson’s Hope the “Rocky Mountain Portage Fort”. Cust’s House and an old Hudson’s Bay Co. post are shown on Arrowsmith map 1832 (No. 100) at the west end of the portage from Rocky Mountain House. The location of the original fort is shown on the Dawson map 1879 (No. 81) and marked “abandoned”.

References:

  • 1. 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, P. 83. University of British Columbia Library [accessed 3 January 2026]

Acton House

Alberta. Fur trade post
Adjoining Rocky Mountain House
Not currently an official name.

Post no. 3 in “Historic forts and trading posts” by Ernest Voorhis [1859–1933]:

The Hudson Bay Co. house adjoining the North West Co. house called Rocky Mountains House, on North Saskatchewan river near mouth of Clearwater river. Name Acton house was given to distinguish it from the North West Co. house, but it was generally called Rocky Mt. House [1].

References:

  • 1. 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, p. 29. University of British Columbia Library [accessed 3 January 2026]

Rocky Mountain House

Alberta. National Historic Site
On the North Saskatchewan River near the confluence of the Clearwater River
52.3694 N 114.9639 W — Map 083B07 — GoogleGeoHack
Name officially adopted in 2001
Topo map from Canadian Geographical Names

Five fur trading posts were known as Rocky Mountain House near the same site as present-day Rocky Mountain House. Rocky Mountain House is post no. 467 in “Historic forts and trading posts” by Ernest Voorhis [1859–1933] :

North West Co. post on North Saskatchewan river, 1-1/4 miles above mouth of Clearwater river, 3 miles below Hangman’s tree (1790) on north bank of river, 70 yards from river’s edge. It stood on high bank, well adapted for defense as block-houses commanded the fort. Of exceptional strength being in territory of Blackfeet Indians. Hence it was sometimes called “Blackfeet post.” Built by John McDonald of Garth in 1802, although the first structure was erected in 1799. It was visited by David Thompson in 1800 and 1806 and by Alexander Henry Jr. in 1811. It was the uppermost permanent post of the North West Co. on the Saskatchewan river. Ruins were still visible in 1886. After union of the two companies it was occupied by the Hudson’s Bay Co. for many years and finally discontinued in 1875.

The Hudson’s Bay Co. constructed a fort nearby (about 114°59′ w. & 52°22’ N.) called Acton House or Rocky Mt. House, both names being given on some maps. [1]

Archaeologists at the Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site have identified four fur trade post:

Rocky Mountain House of the North West Company, built in 1799.
Acton House of the Hudson’s Bay Company, also built in 1799.
Rocky Mountain House, the Hudson’s Bay Company post of 1835-1861
Rocky Mountain House, the Hudson’s Bay Company Post of 1868-1875.
They searched for the fifth post, but it stood where the river runs now. The Hudson’s Bay Company built this temporary post (1865-1868). It housed fur traders and their families until the last post was finished.

Voorhis notes that there was also a North West Company fort on the Mackenzie River called Rocky Mountain House, built in 1800 and soon abandoned. The following forts were also called Rocky Mountain House: Jasper House (No. 245), Hudson’s Hope (No. 227), Acton House (No. 3), Henry’s House (No. 218).

References:

  • 1. 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, p. 149. University of British Columbia Library [accessed 3 January 2026]

Henry’s House (1)

Alberta. Fur trade post
Not currently an official name.

Listed as “Henry’s House (1),” post no. 218 in Ernest Voorhis [1859–1933], “Historic Forts” [1]

Post built by William Henry 1812 on upper Athabaska river near confluence of Snaring river, about 8 miles below Jasper House village of today and about 20 miles above the last site of Jasper House, about 8 miles below confluence of Miette river. It was used as an outpost of Jasper House and was deserted about 1861.

References:

  • 1. 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, p. 81. University of British Columbia Library [accessed 3 January 2026]