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Description
1853-55 Fort Simpson Journal
FC 3212 K44 030.035 · Item · September 1, 1853 - April 30, 1855
Part of Keenlyside Fur Trade Collection

From the first report provided by the donor (see notes on accompanying materials below): "The Fort Simpson Journal contains the expected daily and routine entries on weather conditions, entertaining descriptions of the laborers and their occupations, and general comments on trading activities. The journal also contains a plethora of lengthy and intensely interesting entries describing specific activities and events hitherto unknown and unrecorded elsewhere."

The author of the Fort Simpson journal is William Henry McNeill (1801-1875). He does not name himself in the journal itself, but the donor has provided research identifying him through HBC Archives documents. McNeill took charge of Fort Simpson in 1851, was appointed Chief Factor in 1856, left from 1859-1861, before finally departing the fort in 1863. The town of Port McNeill on Vancouver Island is named for him.

The Hudson's Bay Company founded Fort Simpson, which eventually developed into Port Simpson and later Lax Kw'alaams. It is located on the coast of British Columbia.

McNeill, William Henry