On this site are the remains of a French colonial outpost called Fort Duquesne, established in 1750 as a center for trade, diplomacy, and exploration. Artifacts found during recent excavation indicate that Native Americans used the site as a camping ground as far back as 400 B.C. Voyageurs and fur traders also camped here, and Joseph Nicollet camped here in 1836 on his expedition to the source of the Mississippi River.