Fort Rouge

Fort Rouge (1738-1749, 1752-1753) - A French fur trading post and depot established in 1737 at South Point in present day Winnipeg, Manitoba. Abandoned in 1753. South Point at Winnipeg Possible Site of Fort Rouge, Assiniboine River in the Foreground, Red River in the Background. History of Fort Rouge Established in October 1738 by Pierre Gaultier de Varennes, sieur de La Vérendrye but thought to have been actually built by a Mr. de Lamarque at the junction of the Assiniboine River and the Red River. While Fort Rouge was under construction, La Vérendrye proceeded up the Assiniboine River to constructed Fort La Reine. Fort La Reine was located at the prairie portage between the Assiniboine River and Lake Manitoba on the native route to the English fur trading posts at Hudson's Bay. It is thought that Fort Rouge was constructed as a depot for the forts further west and that it was abandoned by 1749 when La Vérendrye left the area. A new commandant of the French western forts, Jacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre, traveled to the fort in the winter of 1752–1753 and is thought to have rebuilt Fort Rouge at its original location. The later construction of Fort Gibralter replaced Fort Rouge. La Vérendrye Family Built Forts (edit list) Name Start Stop Place State Est By GPS Notes Fort St. Pierre (1) 1731 1758 Fort Francis ON Jean-Baptiste 48.6166, -93.35681 Fort St. Charles 1732 1754 Magnusons Island MN Pierre 49.36181, -94.98094 Fort Maurepas (2) 1734 1737 Selkirk MB Jean-Baptiste 50.29194, -96.86683 Fort Maurepas (3) 1739 1760 Fort Alexander MB 50.60904, -96.29334 Fort La Reine 1737 1753 Portage la Prairie MB Pierre Gaultier 49.9513, -98.32703 Fort Rouge 1738 1753 Winnipeg MB Pierre Gaultier 49.88508, -97.12988 Fort Dauphin 1741 1759 Winnipegosis MB Pierre Gaultier 51.6546, -99.9238 Fort Bourbon (2) 1741 1750 Grand Rapids MB Philippe Leduc 53.1857, -99.2625 Fort Paskoya 1741 1759 Fort Island MB 53.507, -100.651 Sources: Manitoba Historical Society - The Vérendryes and Their Successors, 1727-1760 Current Status Winnipeg Forks Observation Tower location Display The site of Fort Rouge is believed to be on South Point in present day Winnipeg. This site is south across the Assiniboine River where it joins the Red River. Some archeological remains have been found but not tied directly to the fort. Conflicting theories abound on the actual location. The South Point location can be directly accessed by foot bridge from the area of Winnipeg known as "The Forks", a popular recreation and tourist area. An observation tower at The Forks provides a great view of South Point and identifies the possible location of the fort. {"selectable":false,"height":"-500","width":"-500"} Location: South Point in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Maps & Images Lat: 49.88508 Long: -97.12988 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: .....' See Also: Fort La Reine Sources: Bell, Charles N., Manitoba Historical Society - The Old Forts of Winnipeg (1738-1927), MHS Transactions Series 2, No. 3. Wade, Mark S., Mackenzie of Canada:The Life and Adventures of Alexander Mackenzie, Discoverer, William Blackwood & Sons Ltd., Edinburgh and London, 1927, Online Manitoba Historical Society - The Old Forts of Winnipeg, 1738-1927 Links: North American Forts - Fort Rouge Wikipedia - Fort Rouge Canadian Historic Places - Fort Rouge Visited: 29 Jul 2016