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Tuesday, 22 June 2010 |
According to the website, Beaver Dam , The Northwest Fur Company established historic Fort William in present day Thunder Bay, Ontario on the Kaministiquia River in 1803 as its interior headquarters and distribution center. The companys headquarters were originally in Grand Portage, Minnesota, forty miles Southwest. The company moved because it was an English company doing business on United States soil. The US government wanted them to pay taxes on the fur they were exporting to Europe.
The predominate fur being traded was the beaver, which was used to make hats for the gentry in every major city in Europe. The beaver had been eradicated in Europe, but were plentiful in North America, especially in Northern Canada. The Northwest Companys largest competitor was The Hudson Bay Company. They had the original British Royal Charter for trading fur since 1670, but were only a quarter of the size of the Northwest Company. The company averaged over 90,000 Beaver Pelts per year for over ten years. Simon McTavish and his partners became extremely wealthy. |
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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 22 June 2010 )
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