Francois Payette

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Francois Payette (b.1793-d. post 1844) was a fur trader. Born near Montreal, he began his career as a canoeman, was hired by John Jacob Astor and shipped to Oregon aboard the Beaver, entering the mouth of the Columbia May 9, 1812. With sale of Astoria, Payette joined the North West Company, "accompanying numerous expeditions into the interior." A river in Idaho, a county and a city are named for him. In 1821, when the Hudson's Bay Company absorbed the North West Company, Payette transferred allegiance to the HBC. He took part in notable fur gathering-trading expeditions throughout the upper Rockies and was an occasional interpreter, sometimes second in command of brigades, and clerk.

He was stationed at Fort Boise for his last years with the company, retiring June 1, 1844. After this, there are two known stories. The first is that he returned to Montreal, and nothing more is known of him. The second is the account of George Goodhart, who claims he died in Idaho, either in 1854 or 1855 and was buried in the area now known as Washoe, looking over the Snake and Payette Rivers. He was one of the more able and worthy HBC men in the interior of the Northwest.

[edit] References

• "Francois Payette" by Ron Marlowe; originally published for Independent-Enterprise Newspaper, Payette Idaho, Wednesday, February 01, 2001, <http://www.rootsweb.com/~idpayett/marlow/francois.html>. Retrieved on 10 October 2007 

• Francois Payette, <http://www.3rd1000.com/history3/biography/fpayette.htm>. Retrieved on 10 July 2007