Based in Montana, Joseph Rocheleau has published an original work about Western Canada's foremost explorer and mapmaker David Thompson and his erection of the last Trade House within the U.S. borders by the North West Company. "The location of Saleesh House has been ever a bone of contention," he writes, "and it seemed that the birth of the digital age offered a golden opportunity to amass data that had not been previously available to researchers. The book I wrote is largely technical but does offer some insights into historical events. I have had it printed locally and available locally as I felt that only serious researchers would be interested. I have been quite surprised at the number of people in general that have purchased the book. I have attributed this situation to the fact that I tried not to make it into a text book but rather a book that allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusions." The focus of Rocheleau's research is northwest Montana, specifically the Valley of the Clark's Fork. He and his wife have made presentations to Chambers of Commerce, schools, etc. in an effort to bring awareness to a public that has largely received its view of the Fur Trade from fiction and popular movies. The town of Thompson Falls is named for the mapmaker but David Thompson's reputation remains better known in Canada than the United States.

BOOKS:

Rocheleau, J.E. The Search for a Trade House (Thompson Falls, Montana: Seeds-Kee-Dee Publications Ltd., 2001; 2005) c/o Clark's Fork Forge, Box 1208, Thompson Falls, Montana, USA, 59873.

[BCBW 2006] "Forts and Fur"