354:
369:. In his efforts, he even enlisted a cousin, Robert Campbell from Scotland to assist on the farm with such endeavours as trying to raise sheep from Kentucky. Later, he was transferred to the Montreal area out of frustration with the farm's failure and his dislike of Red River Colony society. In 1839, McMillan retired to Scotland, near Perth, where he lived with his Scottish wife (and first cousin), Eleanor McKinlay, with whom he had eight children. He also fathered at least four North American children stemming from relations with native women from the Columbia Region, Saskatchewan and Fort George. One of them, William McMillan, was a co-signatory to the
341:
Fort
Vancouver with Mackenzie and show off Fort Langley's haul of 1,200 furs. However, stranded at Point Roberts in stormy weather for 10 days, McMillan returned to Fort Langley with the furs, while Mackenzie and his group continued onto Fort Vancouver. Rumour soon reached McMillan that Mackenzie's party had been massacred on the shores of Puget Sound en route back to the Columbia River, which later proved true. In October 1828, McMillan was transferred out of Fort Langley by Sir George Simpson. It is unclear whether he requested the transfer or was assigned elsewhere. He was replaced by
903:
273:
323:
River's confluence with the Fraser in an area later to be known as Derby. On Monday July 30, McMillan's party unloaded horses at the site and the laborious clearance of the forest commenced. The first post of the Fort was cut on August 1, 1827. On August 13, the first bastion of the fort—deemed to be the priority as a consequence of rumours of a pending massacre by
Indians—was completed.
240:, arriving at Fort George on November 8 of that year. Simpson described McMillan as a "Staunch & Manly Friend and Fellow Traveller". Ten days later, Simpson assigned McMillan with commanding an expedition to survey the mouth of the Fraser River and assess it for navigability, settlement potential and agricultural suitability. He led an exploration party of 40 men from Fort George to
184:
340:
to convey a distress message to McMillan at Fort
Langley. Upon receiving the message, McMillan sent an armed party to recover Mackenzie who was later greeted at the fort by a beaming McMillan. Following a celebratory holiday fueled by liquor recently delivered to the Fort, McMillan opted to return to
331:
In the weeks and months immediately following the erection of the Fort, McMillan watched as the horses perished in the wilderness conditions, noted a minor earthquake, and described the scene around the Fort once as "dull and monotonous." However, on
Christmas Eve, 1827, a surprise visit was paid by
196:
Born in August, 1782, McMillan was the fourth son of Allan McMillan, Tacksman of
Glenpean, Argyllshire and his wife, Margaret Cameron from Rannoch, Perthshire. With his parents and siblings, he emigrated from Scotland to British North America in 1802, and settled with them initially in what became
322:
was unable to weigh anchor close enough to shore to safely unload cargo at the site McMillan had preferred to establish the Fort. The next day it sailed downriver to another spot on the south side of the Fraser, which McMillan had remarked upon earlier. This location was just west of the Salmon
301:
was unable to gain navigable access to the Fraser River for several days until a channel was discovered. Meanwhile, in the smaller boats, and proceeding further up river, McMillan surveyed several potential locations for the new fort on July 27–28. It was around this time that
296:
finally arrived at Port
Orchard on July 10. When the ship approached the mouth of the Fraser River, McMillan set out looking for suitable locations for the establishment of the Fort. He found none in the immediate vicinity of the river's mouth and the
280:
On June 27, 1827, McMillan was again dispatched north from the
Columbia River by Simpson, this time to establish a Hudson's Bay Company presence on the lower Fraser River. After leaving
292:, loaded with horses and supplies, which had departed Fort Vancouver on June 24 to rendezvous with McMillan's party via the open Pacific Ocean. After waiting six days, the
332:
HBC clerk
Alexander Mackenzie from Fort Vancouver. His party having been pinned in by ice at the mouth of the Fraser River, and apparently robbed and threatened by the
1057:
264:
in order to finally reach the Fraser. The expedition traveled and surveyed up the Fraser River as far as Hatzic Slough, before returning to Fort George.
1037:
481:
613:
547:
507:
197:
Glengarry County, Ontario. Not long after arriving, the young James began work as a clerk for the North West
Company in what is now
1032:
1017:
213:
station Fort
Spokane. Later, he assisted in purchasing the PFC assets, which besides Fort Spokane included its headquarters of
1062:
691:
177:
141:
130:
34:
1022:
721:
606:
736:
385:
222:
221:. These latter two stations would be utilised by the NWC, with Fort Astoria being renamed Fort George in honor of
946:
229:
1042:
987:
941:
228:
In June 1824, following the merger of the North West Company and the HBC, McMillan accompanied HBC Governor
926:
599:
353:
847:
205:'s 1808 North West Company expedition west across the Rocky Mountains. During 1812 he led operations at
837:
508:""Cascadia Historic Earthquake Catalog, 1793-1929". Provided by: The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network"
807:
792:
787:
202:
485:
777:
285:
253:
370:
827:
751:
636:
165:
661:
288:
on Puget Sound on July 4. There they camped, awaiting the newly acquired HBC sailing vessel the
992:
911:
902:
812:
531:
409:
261:
233:
551:
462:
377:, and kept apprised of events in the fur trade through Simpson and others. He died in 1858 in
1027:
802:
782:
741:
357:
Wooden Statues of Chief Wattlekainen and James McMillan at the Innes Corners Plaza in Langley
337:
384:
a Wooden Statue of McMillan and Chief Wattlekainen is located at the Innes Corners Plaza in
1052:
1047:
822:
511:
8:
646:
623:
373:
petition for special status, 1845. In his final years, McMillan contributed to Simpson's
210:
982:
966:
873:
772:
548:"Congress of Aboriginal Peoples, 1979 Declaration of MĂ©tis and Indian Rights, Appendix"
342:
161:
57:
706:
883:
832:
366:
878:
842:
362:
257:
863:
817:
701:
378:
365:, and he was brought in to manage a failed experimental farm at St. James on the
311:
307:
303:
95:
572:
956:
868:
731:
711:
451:
315:
281:
249:
237:
1011:
746:
696:
245:
218:
206:
306:
was named for him. Other islands named during this survey of the river were
961:
767:
676:
671:
666:
214:
198:
173:
591:
272:
951:
936:
931:
726:
716:
241:
248:. On local advice of a shortcut, McMillan's party proceeded east up the
157:
122:
375:
Narrative of a journey round the world, during the years 1841 and 1842
681:
169:
686:
482:""Langley History Built on Fort", Langley Advance, 6 February 2004"
333:
126:
79:
348:
888:
183:
191:
284:, McMillan, his 25-man party and two small boats arrived at
326:
573:"Statue Carvings of Chief Wattlekainen and James McMillan"
361:
McMillan went on to become a Chief Factor at the HBC's
318:(for Clerk Francois Noel Annance). Unfortunately, the
180:
for the HBC in 1827, and was its first Chief Trader.
1009:
1058:Scottish emigrants to pre-Confederation Ontario
577:The Virtual Museum of MĂ©tis History and Culture
349:Red River Colony, personal life and final years
607:
244:and on to Mud Bay, just east of present-day
192:Early life and first Fraser River expedition
621:
452:"The Langley Story Illustrated", Don Waite.
447:
445:
443:
441:
439:
437:
267:
614:
600:
1038:Pre-Confederation British Columbia people
476:
474:
434:
352:
327:Chief Factor at Fort Langley (1827-1828)
271:
182:
534:Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
412:Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online
1010:
471:
595:
423:
421:
405:
403:
401:
399:
336:, Mackenzie dispatched a sympathetic
465:Washington Historical Quarterly III,
156:(August 1783–26 January 1858) was a
13:
418:
396:
14:
1074:
901:
429:Encyclopedia of British Columbia
260:where they portaged over to the
223:George III of the United Kingdom
16:Canadian fur trader and explorer
209:, competing against the nearby
565:
540:
525:
500:
456:
168:. He led some of the earliest
1:
1018:Explorers of British Columbia
390:
276:A recreation of Fort Langley
7:
1033:Hudson's Bay Company people
431:(2000). Harbour Publishing.
10:
1079:
1063:Immigrants to Upper Canada
838:Pierre-Chrysologue Pambrun
1023:North West Company people
975:
919:
910:
899:
856:
793:Alexander Roderick McLeod
760:
654:
645:
632:
147:
136:
118:
111:Margaret Cameron (mother)
101:
85:
72:
67:
63:
51:
40:
32:
28:
21:
639:in the Pacific Northwest
536:. Kenneth Stephen Coates
463:"Journal of John Work".
268:Founding of Fort Langley
187:Fort Langley around 1862
129:, First Chief Trader of
828:William Alexander Mouat
752:Willamette Trading Post
108:Allan McMillan (father)
78:Probably in Glen Pean,
912:New Caledonia District
358:
277:
236:far west to the lower
188:
803:William Henry McNeill
783:William Fraser Tolmie
677:Fort George (Astoria)
356:
275:
201:. Notably, he joined
186:
160:and explorer for the
1043:Canadian fur traders
823:John McLoughlin, Jr.
532:"Campbell, Robert."
252:through what is now
166:Hudson's Bay Company
33:1st Chief Trader of
647:Columbia Department
625:Columbia Department
427:"McMillan, James".
410:"McMillan, James."
211:Pacific Fur Company
983:Peter Warren Dease
937:Fort Durham (Taku)
874:Michel Laframboise
773:Roderick Finlayson
488:on 30 January 2005
359:
343:Archibald McDonald
278:
189:
162:North West Company
58:Archibald McDonald
1005:
1004:
1001:
1000:
897:
896:
884:Ovide de Montigny
833:Peter Skene Ogden
414:. Gregory Thomas.
379:Glasgow, Scotland
367:Assiniboine River
151:
150:
96:Glasgow, Scotland
1070:
988:William Connolly
920:Company Stations
917:
916:
905:
843:Francois Payette
655:Company Stations
652:
651:
626:
616:
609:
602:
593:
592:
587:
586:
584:
583:
569:
563:
562:
560:
559:
550:. Archived from
544:
538:
529:
523:
522:
520:
519:
510:. Archived from
504:
498:
497:
495:
493:
484:. Archived from
478:
469:
460:
454:
449:
432:
425:
416:
407:
363:Red River Colony
258:British Columbia
92:
68:Personal details
54:
45:
19:
18:
1078:
1077:
1073:
1072:
1071:
1069:
1068:
1067:
1008:
1007:
1006:
997:
971:
927:Fort Alexandria
906:
893:
864:Pierre Belleque
852:
818:John McLoughlin
756:
707:Fort Nez Percés
702:Fort McLoughlin
641:
628:
624:
620:
590:
581:
579:
571:
570:
566:
557:
555:
546:
545:
541:
530:
526:
517:
515:
506:
505:
501:
491:
489:
480:
479:
472:
461:
457:
450:
435:
426:
419:
408:
397:
393:
351:
329:
312:George Barnston
308:Barnston Island
304:McMillan Island
270:
194:
114:
94:
90:
89:26 January 1858
77:
52:
46:
41:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1076:
1066:
1065:
1060:
1055:
1050:
1045:
1040:
1035:
1030:
1025:
1020:
1003:
1002:
999:
998:
996:
995:
990:
985:
979:
977:
973:
972:
970:
969:
964:
959:
957:Fort St. James
954:
949:
944:
939:
934:
929:
923:
921:
914:
908:
907:
900:
898:
895:
894:
892:
891:
886:
881:
879:Étienne Lucier
876:
871:
869:Joseph Gervais
866:
860:
858:
854:
853:
851:
850:
848:Alexander Ross
845:
840:
835:
830:
825:
820:
815:
810:
805:
800:
798:James McMillan
795:
790:
785:
780:
775:
770:
764:
762:
758:
757:
755:
754:
749:
744:
739:
734:
732:Fort Vancouver
729:
724:
719:
714:
712:Fort Nisqually
709:
704:
699:
694:
689:
684:
679:
674:
669:
664:
658:
656:
649:
643:
642:
637:HBC operations
633:
630:
629:
619:
618:
611:
604:
596:
589:
588:
564:
539:
524:
499:
470:
455:
433:
417:
394:
392:
389:
350:
347:
328:
325:
316:Annacis Island
282:Fort Vancouver
269:
266:
250:Nicomekl River
238:Columbia River
230:George Simpson
203:David Thompson
193:
190:
154:James McMillan
149:
148:
145:
144:
138:
134:
133:
120:
116:
115:
113:
112:
109:
105:
103:
99:
98:
93:(aged 74)
87:
83:
82:
74:
70:
69:
65:
64:
61:
60:
55:
49:
48:
38:
37:
30:
29:
26:
25:
23:James McMillan
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1075:
1064:
1061:
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1021:
1019:
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1015:
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994:
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989:
986:
984:
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978:
974:
968:
965:
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960:
958:
955:
953:
950:
948:
945:
943:
940:
938:
935:
933:
930:
928:
925:
924:
922:
918:
915:
913:
909:
904:
890:
887:
885:
882:
880:
877:
875:
872:
870:
867:
865:
862:
861:
859:
855:
849:
846:
844:
841:
839:
836:
834:
831:
829:
826:
824:
821:
819:
816:
814:
811:
809:
806:
804:
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
789:
786:
784:
781:
779:
778:James Douglas
776:
774:
771:
769:
766:
765:
763:
759:
753:
750:
748:
747:Spokane House
745:
743:
740:
738:
737:Fort Victoria
735:
733:
730:
728:
725:
723:
720:
718:
715:
713:
710:
708:
705:
703:
700:
698:
697:Fort Okanogan
695:
693:
690:
688:
687:Fort Kamloops
685:
683:
680:
678:
675:
673:
670:
668:
665:
663:
660:
659:
657:
653:
650:
648:
644:
640:
638:
631:
627:
617:
612:
610:
605:
603:
598:
597:
594:
578:
574:
568:
554:on 2007-02-01
553:
549:
543:
537:
535:
528:
514:on 2007-01-29
513:
509:
503:
487:
483:
477:
475:
468:
466:
459:
453:
448:
446:
444:
442:
440:
438:
430:
424:
422:
415:
413:
406:
404:
402:
400:
395:
388:
387:
382:
380:
376:
372:
368:
364:
355:
346:
344:
339:
335:
324:
321:
317:
313:
309:
305:
300:
295:
291:
287:
283:
274:
265:
263:
259:
255:
251:
247:
246:Point Roberts
243:
239:
235:
231:
226:
224:
220:
219:Fort Okanogan
216:
212:
208:
207:Spokane House
204:
200:
185:
181:
179:
175:
172:of the lower
171:
167:
163:
159:
155:
146:
143:
139:
135:
132:
128:
124:
121:
117:
110:
107:
106:
104:
100:
97:
88:
84:
81:
75:
71:
66:
62:
59:
56:
50:
44:
39:
36:
31:
27:
20:
1028:Fraser River
962:Fort Stikine
808:Thomas McKay
797:
788:Thomas McKay
768:James Birnie
742:Fort William
722:Fort Simpson
692:Fort Langley
672:Cowlitz Farm
667:Fort Colvile
634:
580:. Retrieved
576:
567:
556:. Retrieved
552:the original
542:
533:
527:
516:. Retrieved
512:the original
502:
490:. Retrieved
486:the original
464:
458:
428:
411:
383:
374:
360:
330:
319:
298:
293:
289:
286:Port Orchard
279:
262:Salmon River
254:South Surrey
234:York Factory
227:
215:Fort Astoria
199:Saskatchewan
195:
178:Fort Langley
176:and founded
174:Fraser River
153:
152:
142:Fort Langley
131:Fort Langley
91:(1858-01-26)
53:Succeeded by
42:
35:Fort Langley
1053:1858 deaths
1048:1783 births
993:John Stuart
952:Fort McLeod
947:Fort George
942:Fort Fraser
932:Fort Babine
813:John McLeod
727:Fort Umpqua
717:Fort Rupert
310:(for clerk
242:Puget Sound
140:Founder of
76:August 1783
1012:Categories
967:Fort Yukon
662:Fort Boise
582:2002-08-17
558:2007-01-29
518:2007-01-29
492:29 January
391:References
158:fur trader
123:Fur Trader
119:Occupation
682:Fort Hall
635:Historic
137:Known for
47:1827–1828
43:In office
976:Officers
857:Laborers
761:Officers
338:Kwantlen
334:Musqueam
127:Explorer
80:Scotland
889:Naukane
386:Langley
320:Cadboro
299:Cadboro
294:Cadboro
290:Cadboro
170:surveys
102:Parents
314:) and
467:1912.
371:MĂ©tis
232:from
622:The
494:2007
217:and
164:and
86:Died
73:Born
1014::
575:.
473:^
436:^
420:^
398:^
381:.
345:.
256:,
225:.
125:,
615:e
608:t
601:v
585:.
561:.
521:.
496:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
