  
Contained here is unedited text digitized from the book "On the Banks
of the Slave - A history of the community of Fort Smith, Northwest Territories"
Copyright Canada 1974 by Department of Education, Government of the Northwest Territories.
 A sketch
survey of Fitzgerald, looking south. The clearing is about 400 yards wide.
History
During the summer of 1944 Professor Griffith Taylor took a boat trip down
the Mackenzie River on the Hudson's Bay Boat "S.S. Distributor". He left Fort
Smith on June 24 and reached Tuktoyaktuk on July 22. The chief purpose of his trip was to
gather the necessary information in order to put on record, in a somewhat uniform manner,
the main characteristics of all the famous posts along the Mackenzie River. Although it
was a somewhat hasty survey, the brief description of each settlement and the sketch that
he drew is of interest in showing the growth and change that has taken place. This excerpt
is what he wrote about Fort Fitzgerald.
At Fitzgerald the main wharf is situated on the west bank just above the bold granite
bluff which bounds the south side of the little settlement. Close by are the neat
buildings of the Hudson's Bay Company. From this point a good road was built many years
ago for the transfer of cargo to Fort Smith. At the halfway station were some meadows,
which served to support the horses and oxen used by the men engaged on the portage. Today
all transport is done by motor lorries, some being of great size, so that it is not
impossible to carry small steamers over this route. Since the Americans became interested
in the Norman oil field they have duplicated this road by improving another, a short
distance to the west. The two are connected - like a ladder - with numerous cross lanes.
A view looking south from the granite crags shows a clearing in the spruce forest,
which is roughly triangular, with each side about one-third of a mile in length. A small
creek runs across the northern end of the clearing with a dozen rough Indian shacks near
its banks. Where it leaves the forest is the site of the Catholic church and mission
house. There is a hotel at Fitzgerald, which is most unusual in these small settlements
along the river. In addition to the Hudson's Bay Company store, there are two other
trading companies (Northern Trading and Marine Operations), but they seem to be doing very
little business. A small store and a cafe bordered the shore road near the creek outlet.
Two small stores are near the centre of the settlement.
The completion of the great pipeline from Canol to Whitehorse has led to considerable
diminution of the trade through Fitzgerald. In fact, the steamers are doing a good deal of
business in bringing south some of the valuable machinery used in opening up Canol. Many
scows and some of these heavy machines, were lying at the south end of the river bank.
Several rather large houses have been built near the school at the northwest end of the
settlement, where the road leaves for Fort Smith.
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