The Travels and Explorations of Anthony Henday 1754-1755

Artistic rendition of Anthony Henday

Anthony Henday was one of the first Europeans to explore deep into the interior of North America; farther into the interior than any other before him. As an employee of the Hudson’s Bay Company, he travelled across the prairies in 1754 into what is now central Alberta. His instructions from the Company were to encourage First Nations in the upper watershed of the Saskatchewan River to come to Hudson Bay to trade, but the great distance involved and fear of attack by Cree along the river caused the Blackfoot and other western prairie First Nations to be reluctant to make the journey.

Henday ended his westward progress at a point just east of Caroline, Alberta, approximately 65 km of the Rocky Mountains and was likely the first European to see them, if only from a distance. Henday travels and explorations equated to approximately 7800 kilometers on foot or by canoe and the trip from York Fort, to the Rocky Mountains, and back to York Fort was accomplished in a year, less six days.

Henday’s travels were researched from his published journal and other records. From the completed research, spatial data was created and is organized into the fields Year, Route, Leg, Departed, Arrived, Origin, and Destination. The data is in ESRI shapefile format and can be acquired  HERE.

A Map of Anthony Henday’s  Travels and Explorations 1754-1755