The Rivet Family Voyageur Legacy: From New France to the American West -- PART I

 

PART I

The Rivet family’s involvement in the voyageur and fur trade world spans generations, beginning in the early days of New France and extending across centuries and continents. Tied to the Cusson family through marriage, their story highlights resilience, adventure, and the essential role of French-Canadian boatmen in shaping North American exploration and commerce.

Maurice Rivet and Marie Cusson: The Founding Generation

Maurice Rivet (1642–1712), born in La Rochelle, France, arrived in New France around 1664. He received a land concession from the Jesuits and married Marie Cusson (c. 1658–1732), daughter of royal notary Jean Cusson dit Desormiers and sister of Charles Cusson (the Detroit founder’s voyageur). Maurice and Marie raised at least 11 children in the Cap-de-la-Madeleine area, farming while navigating the challenges of colonial life. 

Though Maurice himself was not primarily a voyageur, he fathered several who entered the trade. Court records show him handling land deals, borrowing canoes, and acting as an estimator—practical skills that aligned with the mobile, resource-driven world of the fur trade. The family’s proximity to waterways and connections through the Cussons positioned the next generation for long-distance engagements.

Early Voyageur Sons: Service to Detroit and the Great Lakes (1700s)

From 1703 to 1716, at least three sons—Jean, René, and Pierre Rivet—signed voyageur contracts. These engagements involved paddling canoes laden with trade goods westward and returning with furs, often under harsh conditions.

• Pierre Rivet (1683–1753) had a particularly long career. Contracts record him traveling to Detroit (Fort Pontchartrain) as early as 1703, and later to Michilimackinac, the Illinois posts, and Poste de la Rivière St. Joseph (up to 1736 and beyond). He made repeated trips over decades, demonstrating the demanding, seasonal nature of the work.
• Alexis Rivet (c. 1693–1757) was hired in 1728 specifically for Detroit du lac Érié.
• Other sons, like Jean and René, contracted for “l’Ouest” (the West) in 1705.

These early Rivets directly supported the fur trade networks radiating from Detroit, helping sustain French influence in the Great Lakes amid competition from the English and Iroquois. Their labor—paddling, portaging, and trading—kept supply lines open in the pays d’en haut.

Later Generations: Expansion into the Interior and the Far West

The tradition continued with descendants like Nicolas-Pierre Rivet (1719–1811), who contracted in 1736 for Michilimackinac and in 1738 for the Illinois posts. The most celebrated figure is François Rivet Sr. (1754–1852), a 2nd cousin 7x removed to the line through Marie Cusson. Born in St-Sulpice, Quebec, he signed multiple contracts in the 1790s (e.g., 1791 with Jacques Giasson for three years, “wherever required” excluding the far North). He likely worked as a coureur de bois (independent trader) earlier. 

François’s adventures extended far beyond traditional voyageur routes:

• He joined the Lewis and Clark Expedition (Corps of Discovery) in 1804 as one of the French-Canadian boatmen. He paddled a pirogue, wintered near Fort Mandan with the Mandan/Hidatsa, and was discharged in 1804–05 but remained in the region.
• He trapped and traded up the Missouri River, interacting with tribes like the Teton Lakota, Arikara, and others. He survived conflicts (e.g., escaping a Blackfeet/Gros Ventres attack) and worked with figures like David Thompson of the North West Company.
• By the 1810s–1820s, he lived among the Salish/Flathead people, formed a family with Therese Tete Platte, worked as a trapper, interpreter, and clerk for the North West Company and later Hudson’s Bay Company (including at Fort Colville, where he was placed in charge around age 75).
• He joined Snake Country brigades in the 1820s and retired in 1838 to French Prairie in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, where he lived to nearly 100 and participated in early settler communities.

Themes of the Rivet Legacy

The Rivets exemplify the voyageur archetype: hardy French-Canadian men (often Canadiens) skilled in canoeing, winter survival, and cross-cultural negotiation. They were essential to the fur trade economy, which drove European expansion while creating Métis cultures through intermarriage with Indigenous nations. 

Their story connects Detroit’s 1701 founding (via Charles Cusson and early Rivet trips) to the broader exploration of the Midwest and Pacific Northwest. It bridges New France, British North America, and the early United States—showing how family networks sustained the trade across political shifts.

This legacy of adventure, endurance, and adaptation is a proud part of the family heritage. It underscores how ordinary colonists and their descendants helped weave the fabric of North American history through rivers, portages, and trading posts. As Detroit celebrates its 325th anniversary, the Rivet voyageurs remind us of the deep roots linking Quebec, the Great Lakes, and the wider continent.

Thank you Grok xAI for your wisdom and research assistance. -- Drifting Cowboy