John Work was born c. 1792 in Ireland to parents Henry and Letitia Wark. His last name, Wark, was later anglicized to Work when he began his career with Hudson’s Bay Company. He had five siblings, including Senator David Work and Joseph Wark.
Work appears not to have had an adequate early education; however, he nevertheless was hired as a writer for the Hudson’s Bay Company on June 15, 1814, at Stromness in the Orkney Islands. After serving in five different positions along Hudson Bay, in July 1823 he was assigned to the Columbia District. It was on this trip from York Factory to the Columbia District that Work kept the first in a series of journals that documented all of his expeditions from July 1823 to October 1835. During his first trade season in the Columbia District, Work and Finan McDonald extended trade into the Flathead country in Montana before traveling to the district’s headquarters at Fort George (Astoria, Oregon). Throughout his career with Hudson’s Bay Company, Work continued to travel on a number of trading expeditions, including ones to eastern Idaho, northwestern Utah, Nevada, Mexican California, northern Vancouver Island, and along the Columbia River. He also supervised the construction of many trading posts, including Fort Colville and Fort Simpson. Fort Simpson served as his permanent residence from 1836 until 1846, during which time he worked as the field manager of the fort. In 1849, Work settled his family at Fort Victoria.
Although Work had been urged to marry the daughter of a chief of the Cayuse Indians in order to secure the company’s protection along the Columbia River, Work instead married a mixed-blood Spokane woman named Josette Legacé. She often accompanied Work on his travels. The couple had eleven children: Jane, Sarah, Letitia, Margaret, Mary, John, Catherine, Josette, Henry, David, and Cecilia. Several of his daughters eventually married men who featured prominently in the Hudson’s Bay Company.
In August 1852, Work purchased farmland along the northern boundary of Fort Victoria, where he built a mansion he named Hillside. Work died at Hillside on December 22, 1861.
Typescript copies of journals and outgoing correspondence relative to Work's career as an officer of the Hudson's Bay Company at various company settlements including Fort Vancouver, Fort Colville, Spokane House, Fort Nisqually, and Fort Victoria.
The journals and correspondence in this collection are typescript copies of original documents at the Provincial Archives in Victoria, B.C. All journals have edit marks by T. C. Elliott and were published in
Open to all users.
Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.
Purchased from C. B. B. in 1919. One of the journals was a gift of E. S. Meany, Jr., August 1937.
From York Factory to Spokane House, 1823. Between Spokane House and Ft. George, 1824. Athabaska Pass. Spokane House, Fort Flathead. Fort Nez Perce, Fort George. Columbia River. Personnel: Peter Skene Ogden, John Work, Alex Ross, William Kittson, Finan MacDonald, Jas. Birnie, J. McMillan, John McLoughlin, George Simpson, and others.
Localities: Astoria; Columbia River; Bakers Bay; Shoalwater or Willapa Harbor; Grays Harbor; Chehalis River; Black River & Lake; Budd Inlet or Eld Inlet; Puget Sound the channels, bays, islands, rivers of Eastern shore; Puget Sound Indian tribes; Boundary Bay; Nikomeckl River; Point Roberts; Fraser River. Personnel: Jas. McMillan; Thomas McKay; T. N. Annamour; John Work; Michael Laframbois; 35 servants composed of French Canadians, Iroquois Indians, Sandwich Islanders, 1 Englishman, 1 American; and 1 Iroquois free-hunter and his slave.
Work was sent from Fort Vancouver in charge of the Spokane outfit--the entire brigade being in charge of McLeod. The journal covers affairs both among the Spokanes and the Flathead trading posts, and return to Vancouver.
Fur trading expedition from Fort Vancouver, up the Walla Walla River, across country via Spokane House to Fort Colville, and from there into the Flathead and Pend d'Oreill country, and back to Fort Colville. Includes the early days at new Fort Colville.
Journey from Fort Colville to Fort Okanogan.
Fur trading expedition from Fort Vancouver to and through the Snake River country, over the mountains into California, to the vicinity of the Spanish missions.
Continuation of record of the expedition from the vicinity of the Spanish missions north to Fort Vancouver via the Willamette Valley.
Expedition down the Willamette Valley to the Umpqua River and return.
Fur trading expedition from Fort Vancouver to the Northwest Coast, on the
Gives account of the coasting fur trade at Fort Simpson, and the voyage to Vancouver, with stops on the way down at intermediate forts.
Letters are marked from Fort Colville, Fort Flathead, Fort Vancouver, the Columbia River, Fort Simpson, the Northwest Coast, the Steamer