Fort Pitt Provincial Park, Historic trading post in Frenchman Butte, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Fort Pitt Provincial Park protects the site of the Hudson's Bay Company post built in 1829 on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan River, about 16 km east of the Alberta border. The fort stood on a flat above a river bluff; the park covers roughly 10.4 ha around its remains.
Built in 1829 at the direction of Chief Factor John Rowand, Fort Pitt was established by clerk Patrick Small, who spent the first winter in tents; construction finished in 1831. It closed in 1832 for fear of Cree and Blackfoot attack and reopened in 1833. Treaty 6 was signed there in 1876, and the Battle of Fort Pitt took place in 1885 during the North-West Rebellion.
The fort's name honours Thomas Pitt, a Hudson's Bay Company governing board member from 1810 to 1832. It stood where Cree, Assiniboine and Blackfoot territories met, and in 1876 Treaty 6 was signed here between the Cree and the British Crown. Artist Paul Kane visited in 1848 and recorded the post.
The park lies on the north bank of the North Saskatchewan River, about 16 km east of the Alberta–Saskatchewan border, near Frenchman Butte. The fort stood on a flat above a river bluff, so expect uneven ground around the remains. The site is a national historic site; check locally for seasonal opening before travelling.
Archaeological digs have uncovered the outlines of original fort structures that show how the trading post was actually laid out on the ground. These physical remains give visitors a direct sense of the size and organization of the site rather than just reading about it in descriptions.
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