Key Number:	HS 16226
Site Name:	Fort Vermilion
Other Names:	Paint Creek House
Site Type:	0417 - Mercantile/Commercial: Fur Trading Post

Location

ATS Legal Description:

			Twp	Rge	Mer
			54	3	4

Address:	N bank of the Saskatchewan River opposite the mouth of Vermilion River
Number:	N/A
Street:	N/A
Avenue:	N/A
Other:
Town:
Near Town:	Dewberry

Media

Type	Number	Date	View	Source

Architectural

Style:
Plan Shape:
Storeys:
Foundation:
Superstructure:
Superstructure Cover:
Roof Structure:
Roof Cover:
Exterior Codes:
Exterior:	N/A
Interior:	N/A
Environment:	On first major terrace above Saskatchewan River. North bank of the Sask. River opposite the mouth of Vermilion River.
Condition:	Alberta Heritage Site: Plaque inscription: Paint Creek House. Two forts of rival Hudson's Bay and North West Companies were built within a single palisade at this site shortly after 1800. Here trade was carried on with the Blackfoot and Cree tribes. The posts were also known as Fort Vermilion. They were both abandoned in May 1816.
Alterations:	N/A

Historical

Construction:	Construction Date:
Fort Established	1802/01/01
Usage:	Usage Date:
NWCo and HBCo Fur Trading Fort Fort abandoned Fort re-established Fort again abandoned	1802/01/01 1810/01/01 1811/01/01 1816/01/01
Owner:	Owner Date:
Province of Alberta	1959/09/11

Architect:	N/A
Builder:	N/A
Craftsman:	N/A
History:	ca. 1802-1810, ca 1811-1816. Cellar depressions separated by about 150 years. Information is scant for the early years of the two posts. They were apparently built as the successors to the Forts de L'Isle by James Hughes for the North West Company and Henry Hallet for Hudson's Bay Company. From Alexander Henry's Journal it is known that Hallett and Hughes were at Fort Vermillion in 1802. These two posts may have been surrounded by a common palisade as were their successors Lower Terre Blanche Houses. The two posts were abandoned by mutual agreement in 1810. At the time and for two years previous Alexander Henry was the North West Company bourgeois there. Fort Vermilion was re-established after about a year. It was closed about 1816, leaving Forts Edmonton and Augustus as the principal posts of the upper Saskatchewan River. 'The two forts were abandoned by mutual agreement in 1810, and the operations moved upriver to Lower Terre Blanch (q.v.), but Fort Vermilion was re-established after about a year, for Gabriel Franchère was there in 1814, and left the following description: Fort Vermillion ... is situated on the bank of a river, at the foot of a superb hill. We found at this post some persons, men, women, and children... Mr. Hallet, who had been discharged by the Hudson's Bay Company in 1810, and was now in the employ of the Northwest Company is another belonging to the Company of Hudson's Bay. In general these trading-houses are constructed thus, one close to the other, and surrounded with a common palisade, with a door of communication in the interior for mutual succor, in case of an attack on the part of the Indians. The latter, ... live by the chase, but bring few furs to the traders, and the latter maintain these posts principally to procure themselves provisions. Fort Vermilion was evidently closed about 1816, leaving Forts Edmonton and Augustus as the principal posts of the upper Saskatchewan. These posts were also known as Paint Creek House and (in the case of the Hudson's Bay Company post) perhaps Island Fort - a carry-over of the name of the previous fort. This now an Alberta Historic site, and is marked with a plaque bearing the following inscription: PAINT HOUSE CREEK Two forts of the rival Hudson's Bay and North West Companies were built within a single palisade at this site shortly after 1800. Here trade was carried on with the Blackfeet and Cree tribes. The posts were also known as Fort Vermilion. They were both abandoned in May, 1816.'

Internal

Designation Status:	Designation Date:
Provincial Historic Resource	1976/06/15

Register:	N/A

Links

Internet:
Alberta Register of Historic Places:	4665-0210