Fourteen years ago, newlyweds Julie Buckles and Charly Ray set out on a journey from Wisconsin to northern Saskatchewan. The idea was to retrace the route of the 17th Century voyageurs who helped make fur the center of the Wisconsin economy for 200 years.
"Voyageur" is the French word for traveler, but in the Great Lakes region during the 17th and 18th centuries, it described those men who made their living trading furs and goods along water routes. Traveling by canoe, these voyageurs helped to establish north woods trading posts and settlements, opening up the West to future European exploration. Most voyageurs worked as contract employees and did the hard work of the expedition: paddling, portaging, and general labor. The majority of the men were French but there were also men from England, Germany, and the Iroquois Nation.
Voyageurs were the backbone of the fur trade. They moved furs and other trade goods over thousands of miles. For most of the 18th Century, furs came steadily from the Great Lakes region, especially Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ontario.
Beaver made the best hats and was the most valuable fur. Because the fur is waterproof, beaver skins could be shaved and pressed into a pliable felt that kept the wearer both warm and dry. From Russia to the French Riviera and across the American colonies, the most stylish and preferred hats were made from beaver. The market for beaver was therefore immense and long lasting. A person who could supply beaver skins to cities in Europe and America could grow rich.
Merchants in Montreal imported products that Indian hunters wanted and demanded beaver skins in return. These goods would be shipped into the interior and stored at smaller trading posts at places like Green Bay and Prairie du Chien. The traders packed large canoes with thousands of pounds of pelts for the trip back to Montreal. Beavers caught in Portage or Milwaukee would then end up on the heads of customers in European cities.
Like the voyageurs, Buckles and Ray handcrafted their own canoe. Launching from Lake Superior’s Bayview Beach, these modern voyageurs paddled 1,700 miles north to Wallaston Lake, following a route Buckles had seen taped on the wall of Ray’s home during one of their first dates. They then spent the winter in a cabin before returning home.
And yes, they are still married.
