Last updated: October 29, 2023
Place
North West Company Depot Gatehouse
NPS photo
Quick Facts
Amenities
10 listed
Automated External Defibrillator (AED), Benches/Seating, First Aid Kit Available, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information - Ranger/Staff Member Present, Picnic Table, Restroom - Accessible, Scenic View/Photo Spot, Tactile Exhibit, Trailhead
An International Company
Boozhoo! Bonjour! Welcome to the Depot!
The North West Company built the Depot in this strategic location at the beginning of Gichi Onigamiing (the Great Carrying Place), le Grand Portage. In the days of the fur trade, a great variety of people passed through these gates to do business with the North West Company. Inside, the Great Hall was the site of the company’s annual shareholder meeting. Men of wealth from Montreal and Scotland conferred with men of action – partners who spent the winter on the frontier and negotiated trade for beaver and other pelts destined for European markets. The partners also met with leaders from nearby Anishinaabe (Ojibwe), Cree, and Assiniboine villages to formalize trading relationships. Within the Depot walls, there were also a company store, tradesman shops, and storehouses for trade goods, furs, and supplies for the summer. The company’s partners, as well as clerks and canoe guides, all lived here during their stay. Come inside the palisade and travel back to the time when Grand Portage was the center of the fur trade world!
The Function of the Gatehouse
Ascend the stairs to the Gatehouse lookout tower. Look east for Montreal canoes rounding Hat Point laden with trade goods. The view to the west watches over the Grand Portage trail. Keep a close eye on cook fires outside the palisade!