Date Published:
July 2005

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

Fort George

Fort George, a name applied to no fewer than nine fur-trading posts or military forts of note in the history of Canada. These were, in the order of their establishment, as follows

(1) A small British fort near the mouth of the Oswego river, and half a mile from Fort Oswego, captured by the French in 1756.

(2) A trading-post of the North West Company, built in 1792, on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan river, between four and five miles above the mouth of Moose creek, and about 25 miles above old Fort Vermilion. It was abandoned in 1801, but was afterwards rebuilt, and was maintained by the Hudson 's Bay Company until about 1865.

(3) A military post built by Simcoe on the west side of the Niagara river, near its mouth, in 1793. It was captured by the Americans in 1813, but was retaken the same year. It is still in partial preservation.

(4) A post of the Hudson's Bay Company at the mouth of the Fort George . or Big river on James bay. It was established before 1805, and was first known as Big River Factory. In 1808 it was removed to Great Whale river, but was soon afterwards re-established at the mouth of Big river, and is still in operation.

(5) A trading-post of the North West Company, built in 1807 on the Fraser river, in British Columbia , at the mouth of the Nechaco river. It was taken over by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1821, and is still in operation.

(6) Astoria was named Fort George after its purchase by the North West Company in 1813.

(7) A small North West Company post on the strait at the outlet of, Great Slave lake, taken over by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1821, but abandoned before 1840.

(8) A Hudson's Bay Company post built in 1838 near the mouth in the George river, in Labrador . It was also known as Fort Siveright and Fort George River. It was abandoned in 1842, but was re-opened before 1869, and is still in operation.

(9) The name was sometimes applied to the fort at Grand Portage, on lake Superior.

Source : W. Stewart WALLACE, ed., The Encyclopedia of Canada, Vol. II, Toronto, University Associates of Canada, 1948, 411p., pp. 369-370.