John Work (fur Trader) - Legacy

Legacy

Work chronicled his trading expeditions in sixteen meticulously kept journals, covering the period from July 1823 to October 1835 plus one additional trip in 1851. Although his journals are written as matter-of-fact business correspondence, they provide a detailed record of the Oregon Country in the early 19th century. His journals have survived intact, making them among the oldest first-hand accounts of land features, native peoples, and the Hudson’s Bay Company fur trading operations in the Pacific Northwest. As such, they are important historical records.

In addition, there are many geographical features in the Pacific Northwest named in honor of John Work. Mount Work, in the Gowlland Range flanking the east shore of Saanich Inlet and just northwest of Victoria, is named for him, Most of the range is in Mount Work Regional Park. Also named for him is Work Point at the west end of the peninsula, which now is a cruise ship terminal. Other locations named for him include Work Channel, on the northeast side of the Tsimpsean Peninsula, just northeast of Prince Rupert and near Fort Simpson, where he had served as Chief Factor; Work Bay in Finlayson Channel; and Work Island near Butedale.