Simon Fraser (explorer)
Simon Fraser | |
---|---|
Born | 20 May 1776 |
Died | August 18, 1862 | (aged 86)
Occupations |
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Spouse | Catherine McDonell |
Children | Nine altogether, one died at infancy |
Parent(s) | Isabella Grant and Simon Fraser II |
Simon Fraser (20 May 1776 – 18 August 1862) was a Canadian explorer and
Employed by the
Early life
Fraser was born on 20 May 1776 in the village of Mapletown,
Simon's father came with his regiment to
Fur trade
In 1789 at the age of 14, Fraser moved to Montreal for additional schooling, where two of his uncles were active in the fur trade, in which his kinsman, Simon McTavish, was the undisputed leading figure. In 1790, he was apprenticed to the North West Company.
Exploration west of the Rockies
In 1789, the North West Company had commissioned Alexander Mackenzie to find a navigable river route to the Pacific Ocean. The route he discovered in 1793 — ascending the West Road River and descending the Bella Coola River — opened up new sources of fur but proved to be too difficult to be practicable as a trading route to the Pacific. Fraser was given responsibility for extending operations to the country west of the Rockies in 1805. Mackenzie’s expeditions had been primarily reconnaissance trips, while Fraser’s assignment, by contrast, reflected a definite decision to build trading posts and take possession of the country, as well as to explore travel routes.
Ascending the Peace River and establishing posts
In the autumn of 1805, Fraser began ascending the
Delays and the founding of Fort George (Prince George)
Fraser had found out from the Indigenous people that the Fraser River, the route by which Mackenzie had ascended the West Road River, could be reached by descending the
Unfortunately, Fraser's plan to begin the journey in 1806 had to be abandoned due to a lack of men and supplies as well as the occurrence of local famine. Fraser would not be resupplied until the autumn of 1807, meaning that his journey could not be undertaken until the following spring. In the interval, Fraser contented himself with a journey to the confluence of the Nechako and Fraser Rivers. There he established a new post named Fort George (now known as Prince George), which would become the starting point for his trip downstream.
Descending the Fraser River
From the outset, the aboriginal inhabitants warned Fraser that the river below was nearly impassable. A party of twenty-four left Fort George in four canoes on May 28, 1808. They passed the West Road River where Mackenzie had turned west and on the first of June ran the rapids of the
Fraser proved adept at establishing friendly relations with the tribes he met, being careful to have them send word to tribes downstream of his impending arrival and good intentions. For the most part, this tactic was effective, but Fraser encountered a hostile reception by the
Returning to Fort George proved to be an even more perilous exercise, as the hostility Fraser and his crew encountered from the aboriginal communities near the mouth of the river spread upstream. The ongoing hostility and threats to the lives of the Europeans resulted in a near mutiny by Fraser's crew, who wanted to escape overland. Quelling the revolt, Fraser and his men continued north upstream from present-day Yale, arriving in Fort George on August 6, 1808. The journey upstream took thirty-seven days. In total it took Fraser and his crew 2+1⁄2 months to travel from Fort George to Musqueam and back.
Fraser and the Battle of Seven Oaks
Fraser was just thirty-two years old when he completed the establishment of a permanent European settlement in
Later life
Fraser settled on land near present-day
He had nine children altogether; one died in infancy. Fraser was one of the last surviving partners of the North West Company when he died on August 18, 1862. His wife died the next day, and they were buried in a single grave in the
An account of Fraser's explorations can be found in his published journals: W. Kaye Lamb, The Letters and Journals of Simon Fraser, 1806-1808. Toronto, The MacMillan Company of Canada Limited, 1960.
List of British Columbia communities founded by Fraser
- Hudson's Hope– (1805)
- McLeod Lake– (1805)
- Fort St. James– (1806)
- Fort Fraser – (1806)
- Prince George – (1807)
List of place names, institutions and other named for Fraser
- The Fraser River, named for him by the explorer David Thompson.
- Fraser Lake, a lake in north-central British Columbia.
- Fort Fraser, just east of Fraser Lake.
- Simon Fraser University, in Burnaby, British Columbia
- Simon Fraser Elementary School in Vancouver, British Columbia
- The Simon Fraser Bridge in Prince George over the Fraser River
- The Simon Fraser Rose, (explorer series) developed by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, was named in his honor.[5]
- Fraser Squadron, Royal Military College of Canada
- CCGS Simon Fraser, a former Canadian Coast Guard vessel
References
- ^ a b History of British Columbia from its earliest discovery to the present time, p. 97 Archived 2011-05-27 at the Wayback Machine, Alexander Begg, publ. William Briggs, Toronto, 1894. In 1965, a university was built and named Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia. Today, the university has three campuses within Metro Vancouver (Surrey, Vancouver and Burnaby).
- ^ a b c "Simon Fraser, the Explorer". Archived from the original on 2012-12-06. Retrieved 2017-09-11.
- ^ Family of Simon Fraser
- ^ THE FRASERS OF GUISACHAN
- ^ http://www.canadianrosesociety.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=80&Itemid=55 Simon Fraser rose
External links
- Lamb, W. Kaye (1976). "Fraser, Simon". In Halpenny, Francess G (ed.). Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Vol. IX (1861–1870) (online ed.). University of Toronto Press.
- Simon Fraser, Canadian Explorer
- Biography at Discover Vancouver
- Ontario Plaques - Simon Fraser[permanent dead link]