Lacey Parks Events
William Fraser Tolmie: A Remarkable Hudson’s Bay Company Leader at Fort Nisqually in the Mid-19th Century
December 12 | 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Lacey,
WA, USA
Dec. 12, 2023 6:30 pm
Dec. 12, 2023 7:30 pm
America/Los_Angeles
Lacey Parks Events
Join Drew Crooks as he shares the history of William Fraser Tolmie (1812-1886), a Hudson’s Bay Company official who left behind a strong legacy that even now is remembered in the region. Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers
Hybrid Format: Come in person to Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers or join online. Registration required for online attendance only. Doors open at 6:00 p.m.
Program Description
One person can make a great difference. William Fraser Tolmie (1812-1886) is an excellent example of this fact. After medical studies at the University of Glasgow, he joined the Hudson’s Bay Company (HBC) in 1832 and came to the Northwest Coast to work at the Company’s trading posts. Tolmie served for the next forty years as a capable HBC official who helped oversee Company fur trading and farming operations on a changing frontier. His years at Fort Nisqually from 1843 to 1859 were especially significant. At this post, located in what is now the City of DuPont, Tolmie worked with Hudson’s Bay Company employees, Native trade partners, and American settlers. When the remarkable HBC leader left Nisqually for Fort Victoria in 1859, he left behind a strong legacy that even now is remembered in the region.
Speaker
Drew Crooks received a Bachelor’s degree in history and anthropology and a master’s degree in museum studies from the University of Washington. For over 35 years he has worked with various museums in South Puget Sound, written numerous articles and five books on the region’s heritage, and presented history talks to school classes and community groups.