Fort Augustus

 (1794-1821) - A North West Company post first established by Angus Shaw in 1794 near present day Edmonton, Alberta. Abandoned in 1821.

History of Fort Augustus
Established in 1794 by Angus Shaw for the North West Company. The post was established on the north bank of the Saskatchewan River about a mile upstream from the confluence of the North Saskatchewan River and the Sturgeon River. In 1795 the Hudson's Bay Company built Fort Edmonton adjacent to Fort Augustus providing competition for trade and resources.

By 1802 the trade and resources had diminished to the point where both posts were moved upstream to the vicinity of present day Edmonton. From 1810 to 1813 an attempt to relocate both forts some 50 miles down stream failed and the second site was reoccupied.

In 1821 the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company merged under the HBC name but the Fort Augustus name was dropped in favor of the Fort Edmonton name.

John Rowand was the Chief Factor at Fort Augustus from 1804-1806 and 1808-1821. After the merger he was a Chief Trader until he became the Chief Factor at Fort Edmonton from 1823 until his death in 1854.

Current Status
Part of Fort Augustus and Fort Edmonton National Historic Site of Canada. This is a marker at the original site on the river across from Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta.

See Also:
 * Fort Edmonton
 * North West Company
 * North West Company Forts

Sources:

Links:
 * North American Forts - Fort Augustus
 * Wikipedia - Fort Edmonton
 * Canada's Historic Places - Fort Augustus and Fort Edmonton National Historic Site of Canada