Fort Dufferin

Fort Dufferin (1872-1875) - A Canadian Boundary Commission post established in 1872 as Camp Dufferin by the Canadian Royal Engineers in present day Emerson, Manitoba, Canada. Used by the North West Mounted Police (NWMP) in 1874 to stage their historic march west. Named for Lord Dufferin, then Governor-General of Canada. Abandoned in 1875. Fort Dufferin 1873 Storehouse Building. Fort Dufferin 1872 Latrine Building. Fort Dufferin National Historic Site Entrance. Fort Dufferin History Established in 1872 by Captain Donald R. Cameron, chief commissioner of the British North American Boundary Commission Survey as a base camp, winter headquarters and supply depot. The post was built with a single two-story frame officer’s quarters, three one-story buildings, a stable, a store house, a cook house, a bakery, a workshop and a smith-shop. The camp was used mostly during the winters when the weather prevented the survey teams from being out in the field. North West Mounted Police (NWMP) In the summer of 1874 the fledgling NWMP used Fort Dufferin to stage their historic march into the North West Territories of Canada. The NWMP left Fort Dufferin on 8 Jul 1874 under the command of Commissioner George A. French and headed toward Fort Whoop-Up the American whiskey trader's post. At La Roche Percee the column split into two columns with most of Troop "A" heading north to establish Fort Edmonton. The remainder pressed on to the Sweet Grass Hills where, after re-provisioning at Fort Benton, they separated into two columns. Troops "B", "C" and "F" under the assistant Commissioner, James F. Macleod headed west to Fort Whoop-Up while Commissioner French led Troops "D" and "E" to Swan River. The mission was a success with the whiskey traders scattered and the start of law and order established in the North West Territories. In the fall of 1874 the Boundary Commission completed their survey and most of the team departed Fort Dufferin. Commissioner French of the NWMP returned from the North West Territories with elements of his "D" Troop and wintered at Fort Dufferin. The NWMP left Fort Dufferin in the spring for their headquarters at Fort Pelly and Fort Dufferin was left vacant. The post was soon sold and used for a variety of purposes. Current Status Partially restored. {"selectable":false,"width":"500"} Location: Emerson, Manitoba, Canada. Maps & Images Lat: 49.03056 Long: -97.20194 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: .....' See Also: Fort Pelly Fort Whoop-Up Fort Benton North West Mounted Police Sources: Solar, Gary, Colonel (Ret'd), Four Centuries of Manitoba's Military Heritage, Military Heritage of Manitoba Editor and Publisher, 50 pages. Links: North American Forts - Fort Dufferin Manitoba Historical Society - Fort Dufferin] Visited: 28 Jul 2016