Chief Factor At Fort Edmonton
Starting in 1823, Rowand was the chief factor at Fort Edmonton, making him answerable only to Governor Simpson or the HBC's London committee. Rowand's fort was positioned on one of the best means of transportation across the continent at the time: the North Saskatchewan River. In the early years of Rowand's administration, overland routes to northern posts such as Fort Assiniboine were made, and Edmonton became a central hub for furs to be shipped.
The fort was located on a flood plain at the time, however, and Rowand oversaw the moving of the fort a short distance to higher ground following floods in the 1820s. On this new site, which is now home to the Alberta Legislature Building, he had a massive house constructed for his own use along the fort's courtyard. The house was known as "Rowand's Folly" for its extravagance; it is reputed to have been the first house to have glass windows in the west.
Read more about this topic: John Rowand
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