 Honoring my French-Canadian Voyageur Grandfathers |
From the "Psychology of collecting," we learn the common reasons people collect things include: Knowledge and learning. Relaxation and stress reduction. Personal pleasure (including appreciation of beauty, and pride of ownership)
For me the value of my collection is not monetary but emotional.
Collecting allows me to connect to a historical period I am fascinated with.
For the past forty years I have relentlessly studied fur trade history, then after discovering an ancestral connection a decade ago, I stepped up my collecting of fur trade related objects.
Part of my collection is housed in a bookcase filled with books about Voyageurs, Coureurs de bois, Fur trade History, New France, and Mountain Men.
There’s even some great historical fiction by Agnes Christina Laut, Grace Lee Nute, Constance Lindsay Skinner, George Tracy Marsh, James Willard Schultz, Frank Bird Linderman, and others.
I’ve collected everything from Buffalo and Bows to Trade Beads and Silver
Hudson Bay trade silver cross made by Narcisse Roy c.1800
Replica North West Company 1820 token (worth one made beaver) and trade beads: yellow French cross, red white hearts, and small blue padre beads.
Iroquois Silver Cross
Trade silver beaver effigy pendant and mixed trade beads
Trade silver Montreal cross and trade beads (Lewis and Clark with small blue padre beads)
HBC Trade Silver Beaver Effigy
Voyageur Contracts (prints) of my Great Grandfathers and Great Uncles
1763, Apr 29, Engagement of Joseph Pinsonneau dit Lafleur (1733-1779) (5th great-grandfather) voyageur, to Michel Laselle, a Montreal merchant, to go to Detroit. Notary Hadiesne.
Jean-Baptiste Mignier (Meunier) Lagasse (Lagace) (1749-1828) (5th great-grandfather) • 1778, Ezechiel Solomon hired Jean-Baptiste Meunier, voyageur de La Prairie de la Magdeleine to go to Mississippi, and spend the winter, Notary Antoine Foucher.
1793, Mar 18, Michel Vielle dit Cossé (1771-1810) (5th great-uncle) Engaged as a voyageur to go to dans le Nord-Ouest du Canada (far north west) for traders McTavish, Frobisher and Company aka North West Company. The contract states he is a Bowmen (Avant) who acted as the guide.
1797, August 11, Engagement of Gabriel Pinsonneau (1770-1807) (4th great-grandfather) of La Prairie, to Jacques & François Laselle to go to Detroit. Notary Louis Chaboillez.
1797, Feb 14, Engagement of Joseph Vielle dit Cossé (1767-_) (5th great-uncle) voyageur, to go to Nord Ouest [North West], Nipigon and Lac Superieur for traders McTavish, Frobisher and Company aka North West Company. Hired by company representative Alexander Mackenzie. The contract states he is a Bowmen (Avant) the man located in the front (or bow) of the canoe who acted as the guide.
Jean-Baptiste Meunier (Mignier, Minier) Lagasse (Lagace) (1776-1835) (4th greatgrandfather) • 1803, Oct 6, McTavish, Frobisher & Co. (North West Company) hired Jean-Baptiste Meunier voyageur de St-André-d’Argenteuil to go to Lac De La Pluie (Rainy Lake), notary Louis Chaboillez). Contract Notes: Go through Michilimakinac if required, make two trips from Kamanatiguià Fort to Portage de la Montagne, and give six days of drudgery, and help carry the three canoes in the land.
Mountain Men and Voyageurs Knife Replicas
Green River’ skinning knife & plains Indian style sheath
Forged Trade Knife & Iroquois Beaded Sheath
Woodland Indian Patch Knife with deer skin sheath
Woodlands patch knife with quilled neck sheath
Voyageurs and First Nations Canoe Cups
Atikamekw Indian canoe cup with incised trout carving
Atikamekw Indian burl canoe cup bottom
Carved burl canoe cup
Moose canoe cup
Dated 1899, Minnesota Canoe Cup or Belt-Cup - top
1899, Minnesota Canoe Cup or Belt-Cup - bottom
That’s all for now folks — Au revoir
Final thoughts…
It's time for me to start selling some of my collectibles, so my kids don't have to deal with them. If you see something that really appeals to you make me a fair offer and we'll see what happens. The best way to reach me is email: wtrails (at) cowboyup (dot) com.
Good luck.
Loved your collection have an interest as I am a perrault direct descendant of Nicolas Perrault and have looked at the notaries in st Boniface and found some 482 contracts in the family name keep in touch
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DeleteYour information and collection are truly amazing. Your passion is truly expressed through it. May I suggest a few places in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The location is quite good for visitors due to the Green Bay Packers.
ReplyDeleteThe First place I would check with is "Heritage Hill State Park" it is very good at telling the story of the history of the area, and being a state park everything there is very protected. Next on my list would be "Brown County Historical Society" I might gather advice from them for the best place for your collection and how to go about making sure it doesn't lay on a shelf somewhere. And last you might want to check out a non profit magazine called "Voyageur" the UWGB is involved in its publication.
UWGB is a Federal Depository for Historical documents you can read more about them at www.libguides.uwgb.edu
The Champeau family has a rich history in the this area. From Heberts, Colburns(D'Amour), Leriger/Laplants, Rivard, Beaudoin, just to name a few. We are possible related.
I know these places I have mentioned would preserve the history you have collected. Good luck. And Thank you for all you have done. To be passionate is a good thing.
Teresa Champeau
Thank you.
DeleteYou might contact The Museum of The Fur Trade in Chadron, Nebraska. It's an outstanding resource.
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