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Cumberland House

1805-1808
1813-1819
1821-1822

1805-1808

In July 1805, Kennedy was sent to take charge of Cumberland House. He had been with the HBC for seven years and must have earned the trust and respect of his superiors. Cumberland House was the first Hudson's Bay Company inland post and served as an important depot and distribution centre for boat brigades travelling into the Athabasca. Because of its strategic location, it was also a site of intense competition with the North West Company.

Kennedy negotiates a raise
Kennedy winters at remote outposts

1813-1819

In 1813, Alexander Kennedy was promoted to master of Cumberland House, where he spent the next six years. Run-ins with the nearby North West Company post continued. The founding of the Red River Colony, the Pemmican Proclamation, and the Battle of Seven Oaks had heightened tensions between the two companies.

Kennedy at Cumberland House
A growing family

1821-1822

In August 1821, Kennedy returned once again to Cumberland House. Life at the post was quieter than in the previous years the family had lived there. Energy that had formerly been spent competing with the North West Company could now be directed towards improving living conditions through construction and farming.

Kennedy's promotion to chief factor