ca. 1890s
Peace River Museum and Archives
This fur press was made in England and was used to press furs into bales to make them easier to transport by water and later by rail. A Hudson’s Bay post factor was established at Peace River Crossing in 1904. He competed for furs in Peace River with Brendan and Cornwall and Revillon Freres. Furs were transported up river from posts around Fort Vermilion and down river from posts in British Columbia to Peace River Crossing. There they were loaded onto the train and shipped down to Athabasca and Edmonton. Eventually as the fur trade waned, fur presses fell out of use.