Fort Frances in Rainy River District, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Fort Lac la Pluie or Rainy Lake House

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 16, 2024

1. Fort Lac la Pluie or Rainy Lake House Marker

Inscription.
Erected on or near this site some time between 1775 and 1787 by the North West Company, and abandoned in 1821 at the union with the Hudson’s Bay Company.

The establishment included “Athabaska House”, the depot where, owing to the distances to be covered during the short travelling season, the traders from Montreal met those from the Athabaska country and exchanged lading with them.

Erected 1955.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1775.

Location. 48° 36.322′ N, 93° 25.242′ W. Marker is in Fort Frances, Ontario, in Rainy River District. It can be reached from Keating Avenue just south of Riverview Drive, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Fort Frances ON P9A 3K5, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Northern Ontario

and specifically in Northwest Ontario.

It is also in Central Canada.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Great North Woods,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically,

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it finds itself in what was once a British colony,

the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Sports Stadium (approx. 0.6 kilometers away in the U.S.); Stuart Nordquist (approx. 0.6 kilometers away in the U.S.); Frank “Butch” Larson (approx. 0.6 kilometers away in the U.S.); Bronislau “Bronko” Nagurski (approx. 0.6 kilometers away in the U.S.); Frank Youso (approx. 0.6 kilometers away in the U.S.); Bronko Nagurski Jr. (approx. 0.6 kilometers away in the U.S.); Jim Crotty (approx. 0.6 kilometers away in the U.S.); Fort Frances Canal 1878 (approx. 0.9 kilometers away).

Also see . . . Fort Lac la Pluie (Wikipedia).

Excerpt: Fort Lac la Pluie was a fur trade depot established by the North West Company sometime between 1775 and 1787. It was located on a high bank on the west side of modern Fort Frances, Ontario across from International Falls, Minnesota on the Rainy River downstream (west) of some rapids (Chaudière portage) where the river flows out of Rainy Lake.
The place was
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 16, 2024

2. Fort Lac la Pluie or Rainy Lake House Marker
The marker is mounted on a granite boulder monument overlooking the Rainy River to the south.
a depot rather than a trading post and served two purposes. By this time the trade had reached the rich Lake Athabasca country which was too far to reach from Montreal in one season. Each May, when the ice broke up, boats with trade goods would head west from Montreal and winterers with canoe loads of fur would head east. They would meet at Grand Portage on Lake Superior, exchange goods and head back before the freeze-up. To further save time goods and furs would be shuttled between Grand Portage and Lac la Pluie. Second, it was a source of food. The voyageurs had no time to hunt and it was difficult to haul food from Montreal. Rainy Lake produced wild rice and fish. The fort also built kegs and canoes.
With the growth of pemmican production around Lake Winnipeg its importance as a food source diminished. It declined further when the two companies merged and trade shifted from Montreal to Hudson Bay. With the merger of the two firms in 1821 it was taken over by the Hudson's Bay Company. In 1830 it was named Fort Frances in honor of Governor Simpson's new wife. Its date of closure is uncertain.

(Submitted on September 3, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

The Rainy River image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 16, 2024

3. The Rainy River

Looking south across the Rainy River from the marker. International Falls, Minnesota is on the south side of the river. The Rainy River marks the international border between Canada and the United States from International Falls to Lake of the Woods — more than 80 miles.

Credits. This page was last revised on September 3, 2026. It was originally submitted on September 2, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 10 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on September 2, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3. submitted on September 3, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.