Fort Saint Pierre

Fort Saint Pierre is a trading post built at the southwest edge of Rainy Lake near where the Rainy River flows in. The site sits within a park area and displays the remains of the original stone buildings and defensive structures from its operating years.

French explorer La Vérendrye founded this post in 1731 as the first French settlement west of Lake Superior. The site was abandoned in 1758 during the Seven Years War, marking a significant moment in the region's colonial history.

The fort supported trade connections between French settlers and Monsoni Ojibwe populations while managing territorial disputes with neighboring Sioux communities.

The site sits within a public park that is easy to reach and explore freely, though structures are not enclosed. Much of what remains lies below ground, so reading the on-site markers helps you understand what the original fort looked like.

This fort served as a hub for the fur trade between French merchants and local Ojibwe communities in a border region. Its position created a space where trade partnerships and territorial tensions coexisted in the daily life of the post.