Appendix H - Historical Archaeological and ... - CBP.gov

1.2.4.2 State of Idaho
Exploration and Frontier
American exploration in the Northwest expanded after the Lewis and Clark expedition had
crossed the continent in 1805. John Jacob Astor’s Pacific Fur Company tried to compete in the
fur trade by establishing an overland system of posts combined with a maritime trading network.
The company sold out to the Northwest Company as a result of the War of 1812, but other
independent traders known as mountain men continued to maintain an American presence in the
region.
Rivalry between the two largest trading companies, the British Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC)
and Montreal-based Northwest Company, ended in a merger in 1821, and under the Hudson’s
Bay name. The new company not only controlled much of the Northwest fur trade but also
advanced British dominance in the region. HBC established forts at strategic locations and set
up far-reaching networks of exchange throughout the Northwest. None of these forts, however,
was located in what is now Idaho (Figure H-9; Carpenter, 1986:25, 26, 30).
As expected, Christian missionaries followed closely behind the commercial ventures, hoping to
convert the region’s Native peoples. Missionaries conducted religious services at previously
established fur-trading operations, as well as at newly created missions along important trade
routes or near Native villages.
The American government had long contested British claims in the Northwest, and both sides signed
a joint occupation agreement in 1818, which was renewed indefinitely in 1826. The United States
pushed for a boundary between British and American interests running from the Rocky Mountains
along the 49 th parallel to the Pacific. England stood firm against this proposal, calling for the
Columbia River as its suggested boundary. The British finally accepted the 49 th parallel as the
dividing line between the territories of the two countries in 1946. Each nation selected its own
boundary commission, and together they spent a total of six years from 1857 to 1862 surveying,
clearing and then marking the final boundary (Galbraith, 1957:196-199; Hayes, 2000:150, 171-174).
American settlement in the vast region north of the Columbia expanded quickly once the
boundary treaty was signed. Oregon Territory was established in 1848 and included all of the
land currently encompassed by Oregon, Washington, Idaho, northwestern Montana and western
portions of Wyoming. As the territorial population grew, more would-be settlers headed north to
the Puget Sound region and a few into the interior. These residents soon felt isolated from the
Oregon territorial government based in Salem and petitioned Congress to create a separate
northern territory. In March 1853 the Federal Government established Washington Territory,
which continued to include large portions of present-day Idaho and Montana. A huge mining
rush that increased the population of the inland counties ultimately led to the formation of a
separate Idaho Territory in 1863 (Ficken, 2002:17-19; ISHS, 1976:36-38).
Northern Border Activities H-108 July 2012