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Fort La Reine   Fr GMaps
ID: 357  Voorhis Number: 296 ;   Location: Manitoba, Canada [49.9512, -98.3276] ;    Founded: 1752 , Closed: 1752 .

French fort on north bank of Assiniboine river at Portage la Prairie, portage of 12 miles to lake Manitoba. Built by Vérendrye in 1738. It was first called Maurepas, then changed to La Reine. The Assiniboine river was then called St. Charles and rivière des Assiniboels. The first fort was burned by the Indians about 1750. It was rebuilt by St. Pierre 1752. Again burned by Indians 1752, and St. Pierre retired to old fort Rouge for the winter of 1752-53. St. Pierre describes this second fort as having bastions and several adjoining buildings, one a magazine. It was again rebuilt (the third fort) about 1753-54, but was abandoned in 1756 when the French garrisons were drawn east. After the cession of Canada it was still standing in 1767 and was visited by British traders in that year. Bougainville 1757 mentions fort La Reine as being 70 leagues from Fort Bourbon, in the midst of vast prairies, and the route to the Missouri from the north.

The Northwest Co. had a fort at Portage la Prairie mentioned in McDonnell's journal 1794 and the Hudson's Bay Co. were located near by.

La Reine is shown on Bellin's map 1755 No. 93, on Rocque's 1761 No. 96 where it is called Queen's Fort, on Pond's map 1785 No. 82. Fort La Reine was probably occupied by the Hudson's Bay Co. until they built on its site in 1796. See Portage la Prairie.



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