Spotlight: HBCA in words and images

Francis Heron's account of the Red River Flood of 1826

Francis Heron was a Hudson’s Bay Company clerk at Upper Fort Garry (present day Winnipeg) during the Red River flood of 1826. His journal provides a rare eyewitness account of the devastation caused by the floodwaters which nearly wiped out the Red River Colony in a matter of minutes.

Cover of the Upper Fort Garry Journal
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Cover of the Upper Fort Garry Journal 1825-1826 (HBCA/AM B.235/a/7)
A page from the Upper Fort Garry Journal describing the flood of 1826
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A page from the Upper Fort Garry Journal describing the flood of 1826 (HBCA/AM B.235/a/7, fo. 32d)

To learn more about the Red River flood of 1826, read a transcript (PDF) of Francis Heron’s journal or search Keystone for further information about these records.

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