Simon Fraser: Exploration and Travels 1805-1808

Simon Fraser (1776-1862 ) was a British-Canadian fur trader and explorer who had a long career in the employ of the North West Company. Fraser was of Scottish ancestry who explored and established post and forts in what is now the Canadian province of British Columbia. Fraser was employed by the Montreal-based North West Company. By 1805, he had been put in charge of all the company's operations west of the Rocky Mountains and was responsible for building that area's first trading posts. In 1808, he explored the river that now bears his name as named by David Thompson.

David Thompson after his retirement was assigned the task of reviewing Fraser's and John Stuart's journals. From that review Thompson was able to chart John Stuart's survey on Thompson's manuscript map of north western North America thus creating the first accurate chart of the Fraser River. From the surviving manuscript maps, John Stuart's survey, which Thompson credit's, has been delineated and added to this dataset. You will also notes that some of the notes that Thompson includes on his manuscript map are also shown. These notes equate to what is written in Simon Fraser's journal. Stuart's survey journal has been lost but survives in Thompson's work.

The routes and points of interest on each respectively within the datasets are laid down as best as possible according to the available literature. This data will be updated as more information is compiled.