Fort Hope (1)

 (1848-1892) - A Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) trading post first established in 1848 at the present day town of Hope, British Columbia. Officially closed in 1892.

History of Fort Hope
Established in 1848 at the head of navigation on the Fraser River as a trading post and distribution center for supplies going to other posts by pack train. The British had lost the use of the Columbia River to supply inland posts in the 1846 boundary settlement with the Americans and the Fraser River became the new supply route. Trade goods and supplies arrived by seagoing ships at Fort Langley just upriver from present day Vancouver. Supplies were then shipped from Fort Langley upriver to Fort Hope for distribution to inland posts like Fort Kamloops. An HBC fort had also been built further upriver as Fort Yale but that location proved to be unsatisfactory and Fort Yale was soon abandoned in favor of Fort Hope (1).

The HBC controlled the fur trade in this region until the 1858 discovery of gold in the Fraser River. This discovery eliminated the fur trade and the HBC became the provisioner for the mining activities and only law in the territory.

The fort officially closed in 1892

Current Status
Monuments Board of Canada plaque mounted on a rock cairn with a view of the Fraser River. No remains of the fort.

See Also:
 * Hudson's Bay Company Forts

Sources:

Links:
 * North American Forts - Fort Hope
 * Canada Historic Places - Fort Hope National Historic Site of Canada