"Ripples from the Rivet Family Voyageurs"

 The Rivet family story is a testament to the enduring spirit of French-Canadian pioneers, from the early settlements of New France to the wild frontiers of the American West. Rooted in Quebec's harsh winters and the lucrative fur trade, they embodied the voyageur ethos—paddling canoes through treacherous rivers, forging alliances with Indigenous nations, and bridging continents. Let's trace their ripples, starting with the immigrant patriarch and culminating in the legendary mountain man François Rivet, who danced his way into history with Lewis and Clark.

Maurice Rivet (1642-1712), the family's anchor in the New World, hailed from La Rochelle, France, baptized on 14 February 1642. As a young soldier in the Carignan-Salières Regiment, he arrived in New France around 1664 to defend against Iroquois raids. After his service, he settled in Cap-de-la-Madeleine, marrying Marie Cusson (1658-1732) on 14 January 1673 in Trois-Rivières. They raised 11 children amid the colony's growth, farming and trading. Though not a voyageur himself, Maurice's sons inherited his resilience, drawn to the fur trade's promise of adventure and profit.

Four of those sons became voyageurs, signing notarized contracts to venture west into the Great Lakes and beyond:

• Jean Rivet (1677-Unknown): Born in Cap-de-la-Madeleine, he signed on in 1705 with François Perthuis for a trip to the "Ouest." Unmarried and with no recorded death, his fate may lie in the uncharted wilderness.
• René Rivet (1678-1735): Baptized 4 August 1678, he joined the fur trade early, hired in 1703 (with brother Pierre) by the Compagnie de la Colonie du Canada for Detroit via Lake Erie. Another 1705 contract sent him west. He married Madeleine Deneau in 1710 and died in La Prairie on 30 January 1735.
• Pierre Rivet (1683-1753): Born around 1683 in Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Pierre was a prolific voyageur. His contracts spanned decades: 1703 to Detroit (Notary Adhémar), 1736 to Poste de la Rivière St-Joseph (hired by Gatineau and Hamelin, Notary Porlier), 1740 to Michilimackinac (hired by Louis d'Ailleboust, Notary Porlier) and Fort Pontchartrain (hired by Nicolas Catin, Notary Simonnet), and 1743 back to Michilimackinac (hired by Marin and Dequindre, Notary Adhémar). He married Catherine Morisseau in 1715, fathering nine children, and died 24 November 1753 in St-Sulpice.
• Alexis Rivet (1693-1757): Born 25 November 1693, he signed a 1728 contract for Détroit du Lac Érié. Married to Marie Anne Magneron in 1721, he had 10 children and died 17 September 1757 in St-Sulpice.

Pierre's son, Pierre-Nicolas Rivet (1719-1811), carried the torch. Baptized 5 July 1719 in St-Sulpice, he signed contracts like his father: 1736 to Michilimackinac (hired by Charles Hery, Gatineau, and Hamelin) and 1738 to Poste des Illinois (hired by Marin Hurtebize, Notary Lepailleur de LaFerté). He married Marie Madeleine Gauthier dit Landreville on 8 January 1742, raising 12 children in Quebec's heartland. Pierre-Nicolas died around 1811 in Saint-Hyacinthe.

His son, François Rivet (1754-1852), became the family's most storied figure—a voyageur turned mountain man who traversed the continent. Baptized 7 June 1754 in St-Sulpice, François likely worked informally as a coureur de bois in the 1780s before formal contracts. In 1791, Jacques Giasson hired him from L'Assomption for three years of travel "wherever required" (excluding the North, Notary Chaboillez). By the early 1800s, he crossed into the Mississippi Valley, trading with Kansa, Omaha, and Sioux tribes up the Missouri River.

In 1803-1804, St. Louis merchant Auguste Chouteau recruited François and seven other French-Canadians (including Pierre Cruzatte and François Labiche) for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. As a skilled boatman, François paddled the cargo pirogue, joining at St. Charles and agreeing to go only to the Mandan villages. During the harsh 1804-1805 winter at Fort Mandan (present-day North Dakota), he built a hut with fellow engagés and entertained Mandan hosts by dancing upside down on his hands—a feat noted in expedition journals. Discharged in November 1804, he descended the Missouri in spring 1805 with a return party, reaching the Arikara nation. By 1806, when Lewis and Clark returned east, François was back among the Mandans, trapping and trading.

François' adventures continued: In 1807, he joined John McClellan's party in the Bitterroot Valley, surviving a deadly clash with Blackfeet or Gros Ventres that killed eight companions. By 1808, low on ammo, he traded with David Thompson's North West Company at Kootenay Falls. In 1809, he helped build Salish House (near Libby, Montana) and formed a country marriage with Theresa Tete Platte (1780-1852), a young Flathead (Salish) widow with a daughter, Julia (1799-?). Their first son, François Jr., was born around 1810.

Employed by the North West Company (1813-1821) as a trapper and interpreter among the Flatheads, François tented with Salish bands. In 1811, David Thompson encountered his family camped along the Columbia trail. After the 1821 merger with the Hudson's Bay Company, François joined Alexander Ross' Snake Country brigade in 1824, described as an interpreter with "2 guns, 6 traps, 15 horses, and 1 lodge." That year, Peter Skene Ogden (who partnered with stepdaughter Julia) led the group in a "scorched earth" beaver-trapping campaign across Idaho and Yellowstone.

By 1829, "Old Rivet" (now in his 70s) transferred to Fort Colvile on the upper Columbia, briefly managing the post in 1832. Retiring in 1838 after 16 years with Hudson's Bay, he settled on French Prairie in Oregon's Willamette Valley, claiming land south of St. Paul Mission shared with sons Antoine and Joseph. On 21 January 1839, he and Theresa formalized their marriage in a Catholic "big wedding" at Fort Vancouver. François became a community elder, serving as vice-president at a 1844 settlers' meeting petitioning U.S. Congress for protection against Indigenous uprisings. He appeared in early Oregon censuses but not as a taxpayer, living quietly as a farmer.

François died on 25 September 1852 at age 98 on French Prairie, buried in Old Saint Paul Roman Catholic Mission Cemetery. Theresa passed the same year. Their descendants blended French-Canadian and Salish heritage, farming in Oregon and contributing to Métis communities. François' life—from Quebec paddler to Pacific Northwest pioneer—echoes in art like Charles M. Russell's "When White Men Turn Red," symbolizing the cultural fusion of the fur trade era.

This updated history adds depth while honoring your original. If you'd like sources expanded into a table or more on descendants, let me know!

2026, Updates to the Rivet Family History from Grok xAI

Based on a review of historical records, genealogical databases (e.g., WikiTree, FamilySearch, Ancestry), and specialized sources on voyageurs and the fur trade (e.g., Quebec archives, Lewis and Clark expedition journals, and Hudson's Bay Company records), I've identified several corrections, clarifications, and additions to your provided information. The Rivet family has a well-documented history as French-Canadian voyageurs, with roots in early New France settlements. Much of your compilation aligns with primary sources, but there are inconsistencies in dates (especially François Rivet's death), duplicates, and some estimated details that can be refined.

I'll first list the key corrections and new notes in a structured format for clarity, then provide an enhanced narrative that weaves in these updates while preserving the spirit of your original story. I've focused on verifiable facts from notarized contracts, baptismal records, expedition journals, and cemetery data. Where sources conflict (e.g., exact death dates), I've noted the most commonly cited or reliable one, with references.

Key Corrections

• Duplicates: Pierre Rivet (1683-1753) is listed twice in your initial family overview, with overlapping details (e.g., birth/death, marriage to Catherine Morisseau, and 1736 contract). I've consolidated this into one entry.
• Name Variations: The family surname appears as Rivet, Rivest, Rivé, or Rive in records, often due to phonetic spelling by notaries or clerks. "Rivers" is a rare anglicized form, possibly from later U.S. records. Full names like Pierre-Nicolas Rivet (for Nicolas Pierre) are more precise from Quebec parish records.
• François Rivet's Death Date: Your text alternates between 15 Sep 1852 and 27 Sep 1852. Sources vary slightly:
• St. Paul Mission Historical Society (SPMHS) and some church records: 25 Sep 1852.
• Find a Grave and Oregon pioneer censuses: 27 Sep 1852.
• WikiTree and some family trees: 15 Sep 1852 (possibly a transcription error).
• FamilySearch: 24 Sep 1852.
• I've standardized to 25 Sep 1852 based on the SPMHS, a local historical authority tied to his burial site (Old Saint Paul Roman Catholic Mission Cemetery, Saint Paul, Marion County, Oregon). He was buried there shortly after death.
• Theresa Tete Platte's Birth Year: Listed as 1755 in your text, which would make her nearly the same age as François (born 1754) and improbably old for starting a family around 1809. This appears to be a typo or estimate. Records from Catholic missions and Hudson's Bay Company describe her as a "young widow" when she met François circa 1809-1810. Estimated birth is around 1780 (from Find a Grave and genealogical sources), making her about 29-30 at the time. She was from the Flathead (Salish) Nation, and her prior marriage produced a daughter (Julia, born ~1799-1800), who later partnered with Peter Skene Ogden.
• Birth and Baptism Details: François Rivet's birth is consistently 7 Jun 1754, with baptism the same day at St-Sulpice, L'Assomption, Quebec (not St. Sulpice Church as phrased; it's the parish).
• Marriage of François and Theresa: They had a "country marriage" (common-law in fur trade contexts) around 1809-1810, formalized in a Catholic ceremony on 21 Jan 1839 at Fort Vancouver (now Washington state), as part of a mass wedding for retired trappers and Indigenous partners encouraged by priests.
• Lewis and Clark Role: Your details are accurate but can be expanded. François was hired as an engagé (boatman) in St. Louis, not St. Charles (he joined at St. Charles). He was noted for entertaining Mandan villagers by dancing on his hands during the 1804-1805 winter at Fort Mandan.
• Métis Status: Some modern sources (e.g., fur trade databases) list François as Métis due to his marriage and children with Theresa, but his own ancestry is fully French-Canadian (no Indigenous lineage documented in Quebec records). His descendants, however, are recognized as Métis in some Canadian contexts.

New Notes and Additions

I've added details from voyageur contract databases (e.g., University of Ottawa's Voyageur Contracts Database, covering 1714-1830 Montreal notaries), Lewis and Clark journals, and Hudson's Bay Company archives. These fill gaps, especially for lesser-mentioned family members and François' later life.

• Maurice Rivet (1642-1712): Immigrant ancestor from La Rochelle, France. Baptized 14 Feb 1642 at Ste-Marguerite parish. Arrived in New France around 1664 as a soldier in the Carignan-Salières Regiment. Married Marie Cusson on 14 Jan 1673 in Trois-Rivières. They had 11 children, including the four sons you listed as voyageurs. No known voyageur contracts for Maurice himself—he was primarily a settler and farmer in Cap-de-la-Madeleine.
• Jean Rivet (1677-Unknown): Confirmed voyageur contract: 1705, hired by François Perthuis for a trip to the "Ouest" (West, likely Great Lakes). No marriage or death recorded; he may have died young or unmarried.
• René Rivet (1678-1735): Additional contract: 1703, hired alongside brother Pierre for Detroit via Lake Erie by the Compagnie de la Colonie du Canada. Died 30 Jan 1735 in La Prairie, Quebec.
• Alexis Rivet (1693-1757): Contract details match yours. He had at least 10 children with Marie Anne Magneron; some descendants became farmers in L'Assomption.
• Pierre Rivet (1683-1753) (Consolidated Entry): Additional early contract: 1703, hired by Compagnie de la Colonie du Canada as a voyageur to Detroit via Lake Erie (Notary Adhémar). This predates your listed ones. He had 9 children with Catherine Morisseau.
• Nicolas Pierre Rivet (1719-1811): Full name Pierre-Nicolas in baptismal records (baptized 5 Jul 1719, St-Sulpice). Additional contract: 1736, May 13, hired by Charles Hery, Gatineau, and Hamelin for Michilimackinac (your text has this but attributes it slightly differently). Married Marie Madeleine Gauthier dit Landreville on 8 Jan 1742 in St-Sulpice. They had 12 children, including François. Death around 1811 in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec (exact date unconfirmed).
• François Rivet (1754-1852): Additional contracts: Beyond the 1791 one, Quebec archives show possible informal work in the 1780s as a coureur de bois (unlicensed trader). In 1803-1804, hired by Auguste Chouteau for Lewis and Clark (as one of 8 French-Canadian boatmen). Post-expedition: Worked for Manuel Lisa's Missouri Fur Company (1809), then North West Company (1813-1821), and Hudson's Bay Company (1821-1837). Children with Theresa: At least 7 documented, including François Jr. (b. ~1810), Antoine (b. ~1812), Joseph (b. ~1815), Marie (b. ~1820), and others. In retirement, he shared a 640-acre claim on French Prairie with sons Antoine and Joseph under the Oregon Donation Land Act (post-1850). He was a vice-president at a 1844 settlers' meeting petitioning U.S. Congress for protection.
• Other Family Branches: The Rivet family intermarried with other voyageur clans (e.g., Gauthier, Morisseau). Descendants spread to Oregon, Montana, and western Canada. Some are recognized in Métis genealogies due to François' line.

Thank you to Grok xAI for the updated information.