Disappointed to find that beaver were unavailable in this area, Mackenzie built only a store and two houses out of driftwood. Then the War of 1812 and Indian trouble tangled his plans; in May 1813 he abandoned this site, since Astor’s venture had failed and was about to be sold to the North West Company of Montreal. “Perpetual Motion” Mackenzie, who once had been a Nor’wester, rejoined the Canadians in 1816 and finally organized the Snake country fur trade.