Norman Kittson - Fur Trading

Fur Trading

Kittson received a basic grammar school education at Sorel, and like everyone in his family he was perfectly Bi-lingual. His grandfather, Alexander Henry, and four of his five paternal uncles had all been influential within the fur trade, particularly the North West Company. As such, in 1830, it was no surprise that seeking adventure he chose to take an apprenticeship with the American Fur Company at his grandfather's old stomping ground, Michilimackinac, which was also popular with many French Canadians from Sorel. He served at various posts in what became Minnesota Territory in the United States.

Kittson left the American Fur Company in 1833 to become a clerk to a sutler at Fort Snelling. In 1839, he went into business for himself, setting up as a fur trader and supply merchant at Cold Lake, near Fort Snelling. Henry Hastings Sibley, Kittson's old friend from the American Fur Company had risen to managing agent of the AFC, but left in 1843 to form a partnership with Kittson.

In 1844, maintaining a large degree of independence, Kittson established a permanent post at Pembina, North Dakota, where he made his headquarters. Covering the Red River Valley, he boldly set himself up in direct competition to the Hudson’s Bay Company, whose headquarters were only 100 km away in the Red River Colony at Rupert's Land. Kittson's almost immediate success at Pembina threatened the trade monopoly exerted by the HBC.

From among others, he collected furs from James Sinclair and established strong connections to the local French Canadians. Through his first wife, he became particularly attached to the Métis people, employing them as tripmen and trading extensively with them. All of this enabled him to play a significant part in bringing about free trade to the settlement in 1849. Guillaume Sayer was trading with Kittson prior to the trial that ended the monopoly. In 1852, Kittson relocated from Pembina to St. Joseph to avoid the periodic flooding of the Red River of the North.