Cabanne's Trading Post
Encyclopedia
Cabanne's Trading Post was established in 1822 by the American Fur Company
as Fort Robidoux near present-day Dodge Park
in North Omaha
, Nebraska
. It was named for influential fur trapper Joseph Robidoux
. Soon after it was opened, the post was called the French Company or Cabanné's Post, for the ancestry and name of its operator, Jean Pierre Cabanné, who was born and raised among the French community of St. Louis, Missouri
.
Located 10 miles north of Omaha, Nebraska
, six miles south of Fort Atkinson
, and 2 miles south of Fort Lisa, Cabanné's Post was an important link in relations between the United States and Native American
tribes in the Louisiana Purchase. The Cabanné Archaeological Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1972.
, who toured the Louisiana Purchase
extensively, visited the Post in 1823 and wrote highly of it, praising Cabanné and the accommodations. Part of the success of Cabanné's Post was that it provisioned the garrison at nearby Fort Atkinson (1819–27). Cabanné recruited traders and trappers for the American Fur Company, which expanded under John Jacob Astor
to monopolize the American fur trade. Among Cabanne's recruits was Joseph Marie La Barge, namesake of La Barge, Wyoming
. Cabanné operated the post until 1833.
Consisting by then of a row of storehouses, shops, and houses, the post in 1833 was taken over by Joshua Pilcher
. He managed it until the American Fur Company folded its operations about 1840 into those at Fontenelle's Post
at present-day Bellevue, Nebraska, as the fur trade declined in economic importance. Peter A. Sarpy
later took over management of Fontenelle's Post.
The site of Cabanné's Trading Post is north of present-day Dodge Park by Florence
in North Omaha. Cabanné's Post Archaeological Site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
and is a featured site on the Lewis and Clark Scenic Byway.
A house built on the site and in the style of Cabanné's House in St. Louis is a listed historic site.
American Fur Company
The American Fur Company was founded by John Jacob Astor in 1808. The company grew to monopolize the fur trade in the United States by 1830, and became one of the largest businesses in the country. The company was one the first great trusts in American business...
as Fort Robidoux near present-day Dodge Park
Dodge Park
N.P. Dodge Memorial Park, or simply Dodge Park, is a recreational area located at 11001 John J. Pershing Drive in North Omaha, Nebraska. Located on the Missouri River, the park is a haven for fishing, water skiing, and boating, as well as hiking throughout its riparian forests. Baseball fields,...
in North Omaha
North Omaha, Nebraska
North Omaha is a community area in Omaha, Nebraska, USA. It is bordered by Cuming and Dodge Streets on the south, Interstate 680 on the north, North 72nd Street on the west and the Missouri River and Carter Lake, Iowa on the east, as defined by the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Omaha...
, Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. It was named for influential fur trapper Joseph Robidoux
Joseph Robidoux
Joseph Robidoux III established the Blacksnake Hills Trading Post that eventually became St. Joseph, Missouri.-Biography:...
. Soon after it was opened, the post was called the French Company or Cabanné's Post, for the ancestry and name of its operator, Jean Pierre Cabanné, who was born and raised among the French community of St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
Located 10 miles north of Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, six miles south of Fort Atkinson
Fort Atkinson (Nebraska)
Fort Atkinson was the first United States Army post to be established west of the Missouri River in the unorganized region of the Louisiana Purchase of the United States. Located just east of present-day Fort Calhoun, Nebraska, the fort was erected in 1819 and abandoned in 1827...
, and 2 miles south of Fort Lisa, Cabanné's Post was an important link in relations between the United States and Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
tribes in the Louisiana Purchase. The Cabanné Archaeological Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1972.
History
Prince Maximilian of Wied-NeuwiedPrince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied
Prince Alexander Philipp Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied was a German explorer, ethnologist and naturalist....
, who toured the Louisiana Purchase
Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the acquisition by the United States of America of of France's claim to the territory of Louisiana in 1803. The U.S...
extensively, visited the Post in 1823 and wrote highly of it, praising Cabanné and the accommodations. Part of the success of Cabanné's Post was that it provisioned the garrison at nearby Fort Atkinson (1819–27). Cabanné recruited traders and trappers for the American Fur Company, which expanded under John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor , born Johann Jakob Astor, was a German-American business magnate and investor who was the first prominent member of the Astor family and the first multi-millionaire in the United States...
to monopolize the American fur trade. Among Cabanne's recruits was Joseph Marie La Barge, namesake of La Barge, Wyoming
La Barge, Wyoming
La Barge is a town in Lincoln County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 431 at the 2000 census. It is about 20 miles from Big Piney, Wyoming. The area around La Barge is rich in oil fields, and the town has three bars and four churches.-History:...
. Cabanné operated the post until 1833.
Consisting by then of a row of storehouses, shops, and houses, the post in 1833 was taken over by Joshua Pilcher
Joshua Pilcher
Joshua Pilcher was an American fur trader and Indian agent. After Manuel Lisa's death in 1820, Pilcher became the owner and president of the Missouri Fur Company, based in St. Louis...
. He managed it until the American Fur Company folded its operations about 1840 into those at Fontenelle's Post
Fontenelle's Post
Fontenelle's Post, first known as Pilcher's Post, and the site of the later city of Bellevue, was built in 1822 in the Nebraska Territory by Joshua Pilcher, then president of the Missouri Fur Company. Located on the Missouri River, it developed as one of the first European-American settlements in...
at present-day Bellevue, Nebraska, as the fur trade declined in economic importance. Peter A. Sarpy
Peter A. Sarpy
Peter Abadie Sarpy was the owner and operator of several fur trading posts, essential to the European-American development of the Nebraska Territory, and a thriving ferry business. A prominent businessman, he helped lay out the towns of Bellevue and Decatur, Nebraska...
later took over management of Fontenelle's Post.
The site of Cabanné's Trading Post is north of present-day Dodge Park by Florence
Florence, Nebraska
Florence is a neighborhood in Omaha, Nebraska on the city's north end and originally one of the oldest cities in Nebraska. It was incorporated by the Nebraska Territorial Legislature on March 10, 1857. The site of Winter Quarters for Mormon migrants traveling west, it has the oldest cemetery for...
in North Omaha. Cabanné's Post Archaeological Site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
and is a featured site on the Lewis and Clark Scenic Byway.
A house built on the site and in the style of Cabanné's House in St. Louis is a listed historic site.
See also
- List of Registered Historic Places in Douglas County, Nebraska
- Nebraska TerritoryNebraska TerritoryThe Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska Territory was created by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854...
- History of North Omaha, NebraskaHistory of North Omaha, NebraskaThe history of North Omaha, Nebraska includes wildcat banks, ethnic enclaves, race riots and social change spanning over 200 years. With a recorded history that pre-dates the rest of the city, North Omaha has roots back to 1812 with the founding of Fort Lisa...
- Landmarks in North Omaha, Nebraska
Related publications
- Dictionary of American History by James Truslow AdamsJames Truslow AdamsJames Truslow Adams was an American writer and historian. He was not related to the famous Adams family...
, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1940. - Jensen, M. (1999) The Fontenelle and Cabanné Trading Posts: The History and Archeology of Two Missouri River Sites, 1822-1838, Nebraska State Historical Society.
External links
- Lewis and Clark Scenic Byway, Community Directory and Travel Guide