The Hudson's Bay Company, a fur-trading enterprise headquartered in London, began operations on the shores of Hudson Bay in 1670. During the next century and a half, it gradually expanded its network of trading posts west across Canada. In 1821, it merged with its prime rival, the North West Company out of Montreal, thus acquiring several posts in the Pacific Northwest. Under the leadership of Governor George Simpson (1787-1860) and Chief Factor John McLoughlin (1784-1857), the company dominated the land-based fur trade in the Northwest for the next four decades. After the Oregon Treaty of 1846 settled the international boundary at the 49th parallel, the company gradually phased out its operations in Oregon and Washington territories and moved its Northwest headquarters to Vancouver Island.
Source: History Link, "Hudson's Bay Company", 2011
Organized into 3 accessions.
Letters from Rev. Herbert Beaver to the company's Board of supervisors in London, an account book, and a ledger with Importation of Furs notices.
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Creator's rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.
Rev. Herbert Beaver was Chaplain to Hudson's Bay Co. at Fort Vancouver, Washington, 1836-1838.
Folders 1-12: Letters, 1836-1838, copied from originals in the archives of the Hudson Bay Company (179 exposures). Folder 13: Register of Marriages, 1837-1838, Register of Burials, 1837-38, Register of Baptisms, 1836-1838, all copied from originals in the B.C. Provincial Archives. Folder 14: Title page "Arcana Vancouveriana" from the Oregon State Library holding of original. Folder 16: Account Book, 1839-40.
The initial documents, from 1830-1839, list the number of furs and skins imported by the Hudson’s Bay Company from the Pacific Northwest and Northwest Territories. From 1840 through the 1850s, the forms focus on Hudson’s Bay Company furs from the Columbia River extending from headwaters down to Astoria, often with manuscript annotations on versos addressing the documents to the J.M. Oppenheim & Co.
In 1846, with the Oregon Treaty and establishment of the 49th parallel, the Hudson’s Bay Company’s southern domain was acquired by the United States. While the Hudson’s Bay Company could freely navigate the Columbia River and was granted trading rights, the increase in settlers and hostilities with local indigenous tribes severely curtailed the fur trade. In 1860, Fort Vancouver closed and moved to Fort Victoria on Vancouver Island as, in the north, the fur trade still dominated commerce.
As indicated on the notices, the districts from which furs originated include York Fort & Mackenzie River; Moose River and East Main; King’s Post, Canada; and Columbia River district which reported separately until 1850. These fur trade areas encompassed present day Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Northern California, and British Columbia.
Prior to 1860, the ledger also includes manuscript and annotated printed documents from a couple of Hudson’s Bay competitors in the fur trade business, including auction notices from Henry Lee & Sons in the 1840s, Humphreys & Sons, and William Kugler-Zinn at Offenbach near Frankfurt am Main.
Once the furs had been delivered to the Hudson’s Bay House warehouse in London, the annual fur auctions were organized first with beaver, muskrat, and American rabbit auctioned in January, followed by other fur auctions for bear, badger, fox, lynx, sea otter, wolves, and others in March, and finally, shipments of whalebone, narwhal tusks, salted salmon, deer skins, elder down, quills, and more in December.
Hudson’s Bay Company furs were a dominant economic force in the Victorian economy supplying the popular beaver which was used in coats, hats, muffs, and linings, but also rabbit and muskrat furs for top hats, ermine, mink, fox, lynx, and others which were necessary for trims and linings in women’s cloaks and fur muffs for the hands. Furs from North America were also popular through the Edwardian and post-World War I era.
Source: HistoryLink