Archives of Manitoba

1786-1962, 1963-1981

Osnaburgh House functioned as a fur trade post.

Osnaburgh House, first known as Memenescua Lake, was established on Osnaburgh Lake in the summer of 1785 by John Best to counter the presence of the North West Company at Lake Nipigon. In 1786, it became known as Pashicocoggan. In the 1790s, outposts were established at Red Paint Lake (later called Red Lake), Cat Lake, Sandy Lake and Fly Lake. The Hudson's Bay Company did not plan for Osnaburgh House to be a permanent fur trade post for fear that it would interfere with the trade at Gloucester House. Due to good business, however, the Governor and Committee recommended in 1793 that the post be rebuilt and enlarged.

Beginning ca. 1804, Osnaburgh House built HBC boats that were sent to York Factory. In 1814, Osnaburgh House became a subdistrict in the Albany Inland District in the Southern Department. After the HBC's amalgamation with the North West Company in 1821 and its subsequent administrative reorganization, Osnaburgh House fell under the Albany River District. That same year, the post was moved to a different site on the lake with a better supply of fish and firewood. In 1822, it was moved back to its old site. Outposts at Moose Lake and Crows Nest Lake were also established at this time. In the twentieth century, Osnaburgh House was administered by a number of different districts: the Lake Superior District (1901-1927), Superior-Huron District (1927-1938), James Bay District (1938-1944), and Northern Ontario District (1944-1981).

In the 1930s, the discovery of gold in the nearby Pickle Crow area meant the location of Osnaburgh House lost importance. At the same time, the post began to function as a distribution centre to supply posts to its north. From 1932 to 1947, Pickle Lake served as an outpost. In 1946, the HBC's Air Transport Division started flying supplies out of Osnaburgh House to places such as Cat Lake, Round Lake, Big Beaver House, Lansdowne House, Trout Lake and Bearskin Lake. The Air Transport Division moved out of Osnaburgh House in 1954 when a provincial highway was built from Savant Lake to Pickle Lake, bi-passing Osnaburgh House by four miles. After this, the post's importance greatly diminished and, as a result, a good portion of its residents moved to Pickle Crow. Osnaburgh House closed in 1962, only to be reopened at a new site the next year under the name New Osnaburgh. The post fell under the administration of the Northern Stores Department from 1959 to 1981, at which time the store was closed.

Memenescua Lake (1785-1786)

Pashicocoggan

Piscokokogon

Pascocoggan

Osnaburgh

Osnaburgh Post

Osnaburg

New Osnaburgh (1963-1981)

1786-1814 Hudson's Bay Company. Albany River District
1814-1822 Hudson's Bay Company. Osnaburgh District
1822-1892 Hudson's Bay Company. Albany River District
1892-1900 Hudson's Bay Company. Lac la Pluie District
1900-1927 Hudson's Bay Company. Lake Superior District
1927-1938 Hudson's Bay Company. Superior-Huron District
1938-1945 Hudson's Bay Company. James Bay District
1945-1977 Hudson's Bay Company. Northern Ontario District
1977-1981 Hudson's Bay Company. 2000 Northern Ontario District I