| Peter Skein Ogden |
Article Index for Peter |
Website Links For Peter |
Information AboutPeter Skein Ogden |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT PETER SKENE OGDEN | |
| 1854 deaths | |
| explorers of british columbia | |
| explorers of canada | |
| canadian fur traders | |
| hudsons bay company people | |
| history of oregon | |
| people from oregon | |
|
His birthdate is variously given as 1774, 1794, or 1790. He was the son of Chief Justice Isaac Ogden of Quebec . After a brief stint with the American Fur Company , he joined the North-West Company in 1809. His first post was at Ile-a-la-Crosse, Saskatchewan in 1810 and by 1814 was in charge of a post at Green Lake, Saskatchewan, 100 miles south. Ogden had frequent run-ins with the rivalling Hudson Bay Company (HBC) employees and engaged in physical violence on several occasions. In 1816 , HBC clerks report that Ogden killed an Indian who had traded with the Hudson Bay Company. Not only killed, he was "butchered in a most cruel manner," according to HBC officer James Bird. Although many in the North-West Company viewed this as a necessary part of living in the North-West, the HBC viewed him as a dangerous man, whose actions were deplorable especially considering his background as the son of a judge. Ogden was charged with murder, and the North-West Company moved him further into the west to attempt to avoid any further confrontations with the HBC. He served at various posts in modern day Oregon , Washington , and British Columbia for the next several years. When the HBC and the North-West Company merged in 1821, the HBC was in a quandary. They severely disliked and distrusted Ogden, but finally agreed that he had done no more than many other people during the 'fur-trade wars' and appointed him a chief trader in the Snake River country of the Columbia Department in 1823. Between 1824 and 1830 Ogden set out on a series of expeditions to explore the Snake River country and to bring as many furs from this area to the HBC. These included:
The expeditions were a successful venture for the HBC, but not without troubles, including an attack by the Mohave near the Gulf of California. In 1830, Ogden was sent north to establish a new HBC post named Fort Simpson near the mouth of the Nass River in British Columbia. He also managed an outpost on the south coast of Alaska . He administered a fur post at Fort Vancouver throughout the 1840's. There Ogden fought successfully against American fur competition and successfully negotiated with local native tribes, including the Cayuse . Ogden retired to Oregon City with one of his several Native American wives. His contact with native tribes led him to write a memoir entitled "''Traits of American Indian Life and Character. By a Fur Trader''." The book was published posthumously in 1855. EXTERNAL LINKS |
|
|