From the book: Told by the Pioneers, (Tales of Frontier Life as Told by Those who Remember The Days of the Territory and Early Statehood of Washington). A Washington Pioneer Project, published 1937.

HUDSON'S BAY COMPANY
"OCCURRENCES AT NISQUALLY HOUSE"
Editor's Note:  The following pages are taken from the original journal of the Hudson's Bay Company. We try to leave the spelling and English as found in the pages written in faded long hand.

The Book

Told By The Pioneers is part of the Washington Pioneer Project. It was printed under a project directed by Secretary of State E. N. Hutchinson.

From February, 1936 to August, 1936 the editor was F. I. Trotter. From August 1936 to September 1937 the editors were F. H. Loutzenhiser and J. R. Loutzenhiser. The forward is dated September 1, 1937.

There is no publication information given in the book, except as cited above. [Makes it hard for your librarian to find it on inter library loan.]

The Table of Contents for this volume says "Occurrences at Nisqually House begins on page 7, and the next article begins on page 73. The last article begins on page 222.

The Journal

Page 7

The journal begins:
1833 May 30th. Thursday. Arrived here this afternoon from the Columbia, with 4 men--4 oxen--and 4 horses, after a journey of 14 (days) expecting to have found the schooner Vancouver.
She sailed the afternoon of the same day we started (with ) trading goods, provisions--potatoe seed, for Nisqually Bay where should every thing come up to expectations we now have establishment--- While on a trading trip to Puget Sound last spring with 8 or 9 men, I applied 12 days of our time to the erecting of a store ---- by 20 and left L. Be Ouvrie, and two other hands in charge of a few blankets--a couple kegs potatoes and small garden seeds. When I returned to the (post on the Columbia).

20th of April---This is all the semblance of (post) there is at this moment, but little of it is (it has) advantage over all the other settlements we have on the coast. Mr. Yale--in consequence of a notice to that effect sent him from home, hence by Indians six weeks ago, forwarded the other day, 4 men out of the 13, left with him at Fort Langly--middle of February: which now makes our total number at Nisqually House 11 hands: I have also this moment with me Doctor William Tolmie, a young Gentleman lately arrived from England as Surgeon for the Company, and is bound for the Northern Establi. in the Vancouver, but did me the pleasure of his company across land with us thus far.

signed by Archibald McDonald.

31st. No account of Capt. Ryan and the Vancouver . . .

Page 12

Arch McDonald, C. T. continues the journal through 20 June, when Dr. Tolmie takes over the journal.

Page 13

June 27, 1833 . . . Mr. Chief Trader Heron arrived from the Columbia to assume the charge of this establishment.

(Pages containing record from June 28th to July 10th, inclusive torn out and gone.). . .

13th. [July] Saturday Mr. Heron surveyed the swamp. . . .

Which indicates to me that Francis Herron is not the one keeping the journal. Probably still being written by Dr. Tolmie.

Page 25

Wednesday 11. [December 1833] The boats arrived this morning loaded and the people were employed till nearly midday in carrying up the goods from beach. The Vancouver men dispatched with Mr. Ogdens Private Letters. The boat is to set out tomorrow for the remainder of the cargo for this place. Tomorrow I am to join the Cadboro in obedience to Mr. McLaughlins instruction.
signed Wm. Fraser Tolmie.

Page 28 - 29

Tuesday 14th. [January 1834] Sent off five men in a boat to Fort Langley for some supplies and for the accounts of the plan for Outfit.
I would have gone myself had I a proper person to leave in charge here. The rest of the men employed in sawing and roofing the dwelling house. Snowed heavily in the afternoon.

• Francis Herron was in charge of Fort Nisqually at this time.



• The author of the journal speaks of not being able to leave anyone else in charge while he is away.



• Therefore I have concluded that Francis Herron is the author of the journal from the departure of Dr. Tolmie through the 2nd day of March 1834.

Page 32

Friday 28th. [February 1834] Took the Inventory of the property in store and closed the business of Outfit 1833. The men employed as yesterday. The weather continues fine.

Outfit 1834


March 1st.

Saturday. The people of the place employed cutting fence poles. And Ouvrie and party returned from the Klalums with about fifty made beaver, being but a small portion of the furs that those Indians have on hand, but with which they will not part at our prices, resolved like all the other tribes to wait the arrival of an opposition. Weather fine.

Sunday 2nd. Fine weather. The ground nearly all bare of snow.

Page 33

Territory of Washington
County of Pierce

I, James Wickersham, do hereby certify on my honor that the foregoing pages numbered from 1 to 41, consecutively, contain a true, full and correct copy of the Journal of Occurrences at Nisqually house, from the 30th day of May 1833 to and including the 2nd day of March 1834. I further certify that I received the said "Journal" from Edward Huggins, for many years Clerk of the Hudson's Bay company at Fort Nisqually, and that is the original journal and in the handwriting and signed by McDonald and Tolmie but not signed by the party succeeding Tolmie although in his handwriting. The Journal is mutilated in some slight particulars, and the writing is becoming very dim with age and exposure. I also certify that the pages hereto attached and marked "Scheme of Expenditures" etc. was also written in the back part of said Journal and is a full and correct copy of the original. The Journal thus copied is one of a series extending over the period from 1833 to the end of Hudson's Bay supremacy on Puget sound. All of which, together with a large mass of valuable correspondence, Journals, etc., is now in the possession of Edward Huggins Esq. at Fort Nisqually, where he is now lord and master, having claimed the land there as a land claim (after being naturalized) after the Hudson's Bay Company abandoned it.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, in my honor this 19th day of December 1886. - (seal)
signed James Wickersham.

[There are no records included from March 2, 1834 until May 19, 1834.]

MAY 1834

--------to return on their road and remain at Nisqually until further orders. In the evening we all reached the Fort which we found under the management of three masters Ouvrie trader, Brown Store keeper, and Pierre Charles Master of Works. On my arrival I assumed the whole duty, and ordered the men to prepare for building up the place. The Indians are few. Fair weather.

Monday 19. The men at the place are nine in number, namely Ouvrie, P. Charles, William Brown, Plomondon, Louis Saghanenchter, Silvan Bourgean, Anaweskun McDonald, John McKie and Tai. Most of them employed taking down the frame of a kitchen and erecting it into a better situation. Besides this building there are the dwelling house of 50 feet by 21, twenty feet of which is floored etc. and was the residence of the Gentleman in charge the rest of it without flooring, a store of thirty feet very imperfect and another building of the same size for the men. The Bastions are good, but not complete wanting the roofs. Inventory of goods on hand taken as also the Furs, the later as follows:
180 Large Beaver, 42 Small, 4 1/2 cuttings ditto, Bears 44, 9 Fishers, 153 rats and 20 Racoons, Passing showers of rain in course of the day.

Francis Herron seems to have been transferred after the end of Outfit 1833 and the fort was "under the management of three masters Ouvrie trader, Brown Store keeper, and Pierre Charles Master of Works". From other sources the indication is that William Kittson was the next person in charge. However I have been unable to independently verify this.

This record continues through April 25, 1835.

25th. Sat. All safe and getting on. Indians troublesome for reducing the tarriff. Fair weather.