History
As part of his commission from the North West Company,
Fraser and his assistants John Stuart and James McDougall
explored potential river routes to the Pacific Ocean from
1805 through 1808. Explorations in the Winter of 1805-06
by McDougall resulted in the discovery of Carrier's Lake,
now known as Stuart Lake.
In the heart of territory inhabited by the Carrier or
Dakelh First Nation, this proved to be a lucrative locale
for fur trading and so a post - Fort St. James - was built
on its shore in 1806. In 1821, the fort came under the
control of the Hudson's Bay Company, when the North West
Company merged with it. It subsequently became the administrative
headquarters of the Company's vast New Caledonia District.
The fur trade was slow to take root in the area, since
the economy of the Dakelh people had been based on the
fishery, rather than on trapping. In addition, there were
customary and ceremonial restrictions which placed obstacles
in the way of an efficient fur economy. Nonetheless, eventually
the post became profitable, and continued to function until
its closure in 1952.
The community is located on the south-eastern shore of
Stuart Lake, at the head of the Stuart River. Both the
lake and the river are named for Fraser's assistant John
Stuart, who would later become head of the New Caledonia
District of the North West Company. |