Historian talks about fur trade at Hoodoo

Fur trade historian Nick Sheedy will give an informal lecture at the Hoodoo Ski Resort Lodge on Santiam Pass, Saturday, February 11, on "Donald Mackenzie's Travels, 1810-1820, and the Early Fur Trade in the Old Oregon Country."

The presentation starts at 5 p.m. and coincides with Hoodoo's Winter Carnival.

This is the first in a series of events planned this year for the McKenzie River Bicentennial Celebration, commemorating Donald Mackenzie's 1812 arrival in the Pacific Northwest and his initial exploration of the Willamette Valley and the river that still bears his name.

"Donald Mackenzie's Travels, 1810-1820, and the Early Fur Trade in the Old Oregon Country" will focus on Mackenzie's movements with the Pacific Fur Company between 1811 and 1814, including his first trek into the Willamette Valley when he explored the river that now bears his name. Sheedy will touch on his careers as a fur trader for the Northwest Company, 1816-1820, and as governor of The Hudson's Bay Company's Red River Colony, as well as put that period in historical context, discussing the early Oregon fur trade generally and giving some details on other fur traders and trappers who were in the area during that time.

The presentation is free, but donations will be accepted to defray costs.