HBC York Factory

York Factory Tour – Video

I'm reading The Terror by Dan Simmons. About halfway through, the alcoholic Captain Crozier runs out of whiskey and suffers a period of agonizing withdrawal accompanied by some feverish dreams. Some of these dreams have the quality of a clear vision of the near future wherein his wife is berating the Lords of the British Admiralty to organize a search and rescue party to locate the two ships of Captain Crozier's expedition. 

In his imagination he sees they could send a rescue expedition up the MacKenzie River. That would be 'up' as in North as the MacKenzie flows north to the arctic ocean. In the summer time I imagine the river would be water as opposed to ice, so the relief party would be able to 'cruise' down the river to the arctic ocean. However they would still be a thousand miles west of where Captain Crozier's ships are currently frozen in.

The leftmost placemark is the mouth of the MacKenzie River
The center placemark is King William Island where the ships are locked in ice
The lower right placemark is the HBC York Factory

The Terror is a novel, albeit based on historical events, but was the MacKenzie River even a possibility? I do a little digging and I find 

Economic History Theme Study
STEAMBOATS ON THE RIVERS
AND LAKES OF MANITOBA
1859-96 (135 page PDF. I've only read the first few pages.)

and one of the first things that is mentioned is the HBC York Factory. HBC is the Hudson's Bay Company. You knew that, right? I didn't. I really hate it when writers assume everyone knows what their secret acronym stands for. Okay, that's enough whining. Back to our main thread.

York Factory was the HBC trading post on the shore of Hudson Bay. It's still standing. Ron Beck has a good summary of the place. Here's an excerpt:

This York Factory site, was, for over 200 years, the centerpiece, and headquarters in fact, of the most expansive, ambitious and successful business enterprise of its time. Maybe ever. Together with the East India Company of the Dutch (spices, rubber and coffee), the Hudson's Bay Company, "HBC," of the British (furs) dominated 18th and 19th century global commerce. The value of the furs passing through this remote spot, in 2018 US$ has been estimated to be well over $1billion dollars per year. The appetite of European (and US) well-to-do consumers for fur hats and coats in fact drove the opening up of the entire northern parts (Canada and northwestern USA) of North America. The settlements that fur trading created still are in place and the canoe routes still exist today.

I remember hearing about HBC when I was a kid in school. Never really understood just how big and powerful they were until today. Still hasn't sunk in.