Buckingham House
Here’s a story that is so very cool! The picture above has incredible historical significance. Don’s great great great grandfather (yup, 3 ‘greats’) would have stood on this very spot (near Elk Point, Alberta) more than 200 years ago!
Here’s the scoop. In 1792 during the fur trade, two competing fur trading posts were built, pretty much side by side (a quarter of a mile apart). One was called: Buckingham House, the other: Fort George.
Don’s great great great grandfather was a man named James Spence. Spence was in charge of Buckingham House until he died in 1795.
The photo was taken on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan River from the lookout point at Buckingham House looking east. There is an interpretive Centre located there.
DID YOU KNOW? Buckingham House was built by The Hudson’s Bay Company. The Northwest Company built Fort George. As you can imagine, there was a great rivalry. Both posts would have hade to compete for trade with First Nations groups,..but the 2 companies also had to get along. They shared the same well. As trade increased, additional forts were built. So by the year 1800, both Buckingham House and Fort George were abandoned, but in the meantime, Fort Edmonton was built.
TAKE YOUR OWN HISTORICAL JOURNEY AND LOOK THROUGH YOUR PHOTOS. SEND US ONE(OR 2) AND BECOME PART OF BT HISTORY.