Fort Maurepas

(Did you mean a different Fort Maurepas)

Fort Maurepas (1734-1737) - A French fur trading fort established in 1734 for Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye near Selkirk, Manitoba. Named Fort Maurepas after Jean-Frédéric Phélypeaux, Count of Maurepas, French Minister of Marine. Probably abandoned in 1837 and moved in 1739, see Fort Maurepas.

History of Fort Maurepas

Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye sent his son Jean-Baptiste and Sieur Cartier, a merchant, with 12 men in 3 canoes to build a fort on the Red River above present day Selkirk, Manitoba. The fort was known Fort Maurepas, the site has not been positively identified but some sources say it was located at Nettley Creek on the Red River.

In 1735 the fort produced 600 packages of furs. La Vérendrye arrived in February 1737 to meet with the local tribe. In May of 1737 it was reported that all the Indians at the fort had died of small pox. By the end of 1739 the fort was abandoned in favor of a location across the peninsula along the Winnipeg river. That location is currently on the Sagkeeng First Nations Reserve. See Fort Maurepas.

**La Vérendrye Family Built Forts** (edit list)
Name	Start	Stop	Place	State	Est By	GPS
Fort St. Pierre	1731	1758	Fort Francis	ON	Jean-Baptiste	48.6166, -93.35681
Fort St. Charles	1732	1754	Magnusons Island	MN	Pierre	49.36181, -94.98094
Fort Maurepas	1734	1737	Selkirk	MB	Jean-Baptiste	50.29194, -96.86683
Fort Maurepas	1739	1760	Fort Alexander	MB		50.60904, -96.29334
Fort La Reine	1737	1753	Portage la Prairie	MB	Pierre Gaultier	49.9513, -98.32703
Fort Rouge	1738	1753	Winnipeg	MB	Pierre Gaultier	49.88508, -97.12988
Fort Dauphin	1741	1759	Winnipegosis	MB	Pierre Gaultier	51.6546, -99.9238
Fort Bourbon	1741	1750	Grand Rapids	MB	Philippe Leduc	53.1857, -99.2625
Fort Paskoya	1741	1759	Fort Island	MB		53.507, -100.651

Sources:

Manitoba Historical Society - The Vérendryes and Their Successors, 1727-1760

Current Status

Site not positively identified.

Context

Location: Identified as on the west bank of the Red River about six miles north of Selkirk, Manitoba. Further identified as near the mouth of Nettley Creek. The map point reflects this description but may not be correct.
Lat: 50.292° Long: -96.867° Bing, Google, OldMapsOnline, USGS, OHM

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Sources:

Manitoba Historical Society - The Vérendryes and Their Successors, 1727-1760

Links: