- Fort Maurepas (Canada)
"Not to be confused with the
Fort Maurepas built in 1699 by Bienville and Iberville in present-dayOcean Springs ,Mississippi ."Fort Maurepas was one of the first forts built by
Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye and his men west ofFort St. Charles onLake of the Woods . In 1733, two of the brothers,Jean Baptiste de La Vérendrye ,Pierre Gaultier de La Vérendrye and their men, constructed Fort La Foret on theWinnipeg River . They also explored the southernmost part ofLake Winnipeg and the Red River for a number of miles south. They identified a site for the first Fort Maurepas on the west bank approximately five miles north of the present day town of Selkirk and in 1734 constructed the fort at that location.There are varying accounts of this construction and the construction on the site near the mouth of the Winnipeg River. The second site is the one which receives historical recognition today. It appears that the first site was abandoned in 1739 and the second, Fort Maurepas, was built on the Winnipeg River across from present day Pine Falls. It was moved in the interest of peace with the local natives and the establishment of Fort Rouge on the
Assiniboine River made the first site obsolete. The new area proved popular as a fur post location and both theNorth West Company and theHudson's Bay Company constructed a fort there during theirfur trade expansion. SeeFort Alexander, Manitoba .Fort Maurepas is important historically as being the first post in that area (both locations) trying to capture the fur trade and make allies of the local natives which included
Ojibwa ,Cree ,Assiniboine , Metis, and other traders.External links
* [http://www.biographi.ca/EN/ShowBio.asp?BioId=35488 La Verendrye Biography]
* [http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/transactions/3/grandrapids.shtml "Manitoba Historical Society - Grand Rapids"]
* [http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/pageant/14/architecture.shtml "Manitoba Historical Society - Architectural History"]
* [http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/transactions/3/theforks.shtml "Manitoba Historical Society - the Forks"]
* [http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/transactions/1/harmon.shtml "Manitoba Historical Society - Harmon's journals"]
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