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The York Factory Express
Every March between 1826 and 1854, the York Factory Express began its journey from the Hudson's Bay Company's headquarters on the Pacific Ocean, where the express-men paddled their boats up the Columbia River to the base of the Rocky Mountains at Boat Encampment, a thousand miles to the east. At Jasper's House they were 3,000 feet above sea level. Their river route would return them to salt water once more, at York Factory, on the shores of Hudson Bay. It was an amazing climb and an amazing descent, and they would do a similar climb and descent on their journey home to the mouth of the Columbia.
The stories of the York Factory Express, and of the Saskatchewan Brigades they joined at Edmonton House, are told in the words of the Scottish traders and clerks who wrote the journals. However, the voyageurs who made the journey possible are the invisible, unnamed Canadiens, Orkney-men, Iroquois, and their M�tis children and grand-children, who powered the boats back and forthacross the continent every year. But their history was oral. If the traders had not preserved the stories the voyageurs told them, we would not know this history today -- as it is portrayed in The York Factory Express.
The stories of the York Factory Express, and of the Saskatchewan Brigades they joined at Edmonton House, are told in the words of the Scottish traders and clerks who wrote the journals. However, the voyageurs who made the journey possible are the invisible, unnamed Canadiens, Orkney-men, Iroquois, and their M�tis children and grand-children, who powered the boats back and forthacross the continent every year. But their history was oral. If the traders had not preserved the stories the voyageurs told them, we would not know this history today -- as it is portrayed in The York Factory Express.
- GenresHistory
260 pages, Paperback
Published October 15, 2019
1 person is currently reading
13 people want to read
About the author
Nancy Marguerite Anderson
3 books4 followersEvery March between 1826 and 1854, the York Factory Express began its journey from the Hudson's Bay Company's Pacific coast headquarters at Fort Vancouver. They paddled their canoe-shaped boats up the Columbia River to the base of the Rocky Mountains at Boat Encampment, a thousand upriver miles from home. At Jasper's House they were three thousand feet above sea level. Their river route would return them to salt water once more at York Factory on the shores of Hudson Bay. On their journey home they would do a similar climb and descent, reaching Fort Vancouver seven months after they had departed.
The stories of the York Factory Express, and of the Saskatchewan Brigades east of the Rockies, are told in the voices of the educated gentlemen who kept the journals. However, the voyageurs who made the journey possible are the invisible, unnamed Canadiens, Orkneymen, Iroquois, and their Métis children and grandchildren, who powered the boats across the continent every year. Their history was oral: if the traders had not preserved the stories the voyageurs told them, we would not know this history today -- as it is portrayed in The York Factory Express.
My current website is at:
http://nancymargueriteanderson.com/
The stories of the York Factory Express, and of the Saskatchewan Brigades east of the Rockies, are told in the voices of the educated gentlemen who kept the journals. However, the voyageurs who made the journey possible are the invisible, unnamed Canadiens, Orkneymen, Iroquois, and their Métis children and grandchildren, who powered the boats across the continent every year. Their history was oral: if the traders had not preserved the stories the voyageurs told them, we would not know this history today -- as it is portrayed in The York Factory Express.
My current website is at:
http://nancymargueriteanderson.com/
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 4, 2021
This remarkable and excellent book is a must read by anyone interested in the history of modern Canada.
Ms. Anderson uses the Hudson Bay Company, and more specifically, their employee's yearly trek from Fort Vancouver on the Pacific Ocean to York Factory on Hudson's Bay (and thus the Atlantic) to discuss elements of colonialism, race and governance in the years 1821-1849. She does this through a masterful blend of description and quotes from period diaries, journals and accounts, and she leavens these primary sources with reminders that most of them were 'gentlemen' who couldn't be bothered to mention the names of their First Nations guides or their Métis (or Scots for that matter) rowers and paddlers.
Ms. Anderson has personal connections to the period and some of the people involved, which sharpens rather than dulling her appreciation of the period, its legacy, and its lessons for today. In addition, as a writer of both historical fiction and fantasy, and as a fanatic wilderness camper, I found these accounts stunning as examples of the capabilities of work and ingenuity in travelling across vast expanses of 'wilderness,' with sudden and useful reminders that the wilderness wasn't empty, and that the best way to get your York Boat over many rapids was to hire fifty First Nations men to help... I suspect that elements of the capabilities of the 'Voyageurs' and 'Gentlemen' of the HBC will probably make it into my next work!
Overall, a wonderful book and a vital snapshot of the interactions between early colonists and First Nations in the far west.
Ms. Anderson uses the Hudson Bay Company, and more specifically, their employee's yearly trek from Fort Vancouver on the Pacific Ocean to York Factory on Hudson's Bay (and thus the Atlantic) to discuss elements of colonialism, race and governance in the years 1821-1849. She does this through a masterful blend of description and quotes from period diaries, journals and accounts, and she leavens these primary sources with reminders that most of them were 'gentlemen' who couldn't be bothered to mention the names of their First Nations guides or their Métis (or Scots for that matter) rowers and paddlers.
Ms. Anderson has personal connections to the period and some of the people involved, which sharpens rather than dulling her appreciation of the period, its legacy, and its lessons for today. In addition, as a writer of both historical fiction and fantasy, and as a fanatic wilderness camper, I found these accounts stunning as examples of the capabilities of work and ingenuity in travelling across vast expanses of 'wilderness,' with sudden and useful reminders that the wilderness wasn't empty, and that the best way to get your York Boat over many rapids was to hire fifty First Nations men to help... I suspect that elements of the capabilities of the 'Voyageurs' and 'Gentlemen' of the HBC will probably make it into my next work!
Overall, a wonderful book and a vital snapshot of the interactions between early colonists and First Nations in the far west.
April 19, 2025
You aren't as tough as a voyageur. No, not even if you run marathons. Not even if you run ultramarathons.
The York Factory Express is based on the journals kept by Hudson's Bay Company 'gentleman' (company administrators). It documents their annual trip from the HBC post at modern-day Vancouver, Washington to the main HBC depot at York Factory Manitoba on the shores of Hudson Bay. Remarkably, they made this 2,700 mile (4300 km) trip by paddle, sail, horseback, snowshoes, and foot without benefit of railroads, roads, or engines of any kind. The main motive power was the voyageurs who paddled and rowed the boats upstream, except when the current was so strong that they needed to 'line' the boats through rapids with ropes or carry them across portages. To cross the Rockies they left the boats behind and snowshoed up and across Athabasca Pass (https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canad... claims total elevation gain of 2500m), carrying packs of up to 70 pounds. Days were long too: the journals document daily start times ranging from 2:30am to 4:30am, with days ending at 8 or 9pm -- except when they travelled all night to find better conditions for snowshoeing of course.
The trip typically took 3.5 months each way.
Why? Well, I also don't want to hear anyone complain about their work meetings again. Sure, maybe that meeting could have been an email, but at least you didn't have to travel across the continent to attend. It took sailing ships from England two years to reach Fort Vancouver. By travelling overland to to the annual HBC administrator meeting at Norway House (or the Red River colony), central administrators could get an annual accounting of the activities of Western fur traders, and the Western fur traders could make more timely requests for the right amounts and varieties of trade goods (which were delivered by those annual ships from England).
The York Factory Express tells a remarkable story.
How about the book itself? The author quotes extensively from fur trade journals, and the book has a number of helpful maps to illustrate the path taken by the Express. However, I have to sympathize slightly with the other Goodreads reviewer who says "Like the voyageurs, my main feeling on finishing was relief that the journey was finally over." It would have been a better book if the author had added more analysis and context. I found myself turning to the internet repeatedly to understand where locations mentioned in the book are in terms of modern landmarks, a task made more difficult by the fact that most of the rivers the Express travelled have since been extensively altered by Hydro developments. I also struggled sometimes with fur trade terminology and history -- when there are explanations, they often appear pages after the terms, events, or people in question are first mentioned.
Who should read this book? Anyone interested in the history of the land we all now share, or who wants to understand why Cumberland House (1774) is the earliest European settlement in the province of Saskatchewan. But it would help if you already knew something about the history of Western Canada and the role of the Hudson's Bay Company in that history, as the author assumes some knowledge on the part of her readers.
The York Factory Express is based on the journals kept by Hudson's Bay Company 'gentleman' (company administrators). It documents their annual trip from the HBC post at modern-day Vancouver, Washington to the main HBC depot at York Factory Manitoba on the shores of Hudson Bay. Remarkably, they made this 2,700 mile (4300 km) trip by paddle, sail, horseback, snowshoes, and foot without benefit of railroads, roads, or engines of any kind. The main motive power was the voyageurs who paddled and rowed the boats upstream, except when the current was so strong that they needed to 'line' the boats through rapids with ropes or carry them across portages. To cross the Rockies they left the boats behind and snowshoed up and across Athabasca Pass (https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canad... claims total elevation gain of 2500m), carrying packs of up to 70 pounds. Days were long too: the journals document daily start times ranging from 2:30am to 4:30am, with days ending at 8 or 9pm -- except when they travelled all night to find better conditions for snowshoeing of course.
The trip typically took 3.5 months each way.
Why? Well, I also don't want to hear anyone complain about their work meetings again. Sure, maybe that meeting could have been an email, but at least you didn't have to travel across the continent to attend. It took sailing ships from England two years to reach Fort Vancouver. By travelling overland to to the annual HBC administrator meeting at Norway House (or the Red River colony), central administrators could get an annual accounting of the activities of Western fur traders, and the Western fur traders could make more timely requests for the right amounts and varieties of trade goods (which were delivered by those annual ships from England).
The York Factory Express tells a remarkable story.
How about the book itself? The author quotes extensively from fur trade journals, and the book has a number of helpful maps to illustrate the path taken by the Express. However, I have to sympathize slightly with the other Goodreads reviewer who says "Like the voyageurs, my main feeling on finishing was relief that the journey was finally over." It would have been a better book if the author had added more analysis and context. I found myself turning to the internet repeatedly to understand where locations mentioned in the book are in terms of modern landmarks, a task made more difficult by the fact that most of the rivers the Express travelled have since been extensively altered by Hydro developments. I also struggled sometimes with fur trade terminology and history -- when there are explanations, they often appear pages after the terms, events, or people in question are first mentioned.
Who should read this book? Anyone interested in the history of the land we all now share, or who wants to understand why Cumberland House (1774) is the earliest European settlement in the province of Saskatchewan. But it would help if you already knew something about the history of Western Canada and the role of the Hudson's Bay Company in that history, as the author assumes some knowledge on the part of her readers.
February 26, 2023
A fascinating bit of history made into a horrible slog of a read. Much of the book consists of extracts from the journals of 'gentlemen' travelling with the express to York Factory. Much of the rest of the prose uses quotes from the journals. For me , too much literal description and too little insight and analysis. An important book for someone needing to know day to day details of the impressive journey, although going to the author's source material might better benefit a serious scholar. Like the voyageurs, my main feeling on finishing was relief that the journey was finally over.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews