North West Company Fur Press

The North West Company used lever fur presses frequently at its fur trading posts because they were simple to operate and could be built from wood found near the post. Fur pelts were stacked with the fur sides together inside the press box, reached by removing one or more wooden side panels, and when 50 to 60 pelts had been loaded, several voyageurs pulled down on the free end of the pole to compress them into a bundle weighing about 90 pounds while another voyageur tied the bundle securely with rope or leather straps. Wedge fur presses were also used at small fur trade posts, where pelts in a similar box were compressed by a wooden plate forced down with wedges driven in from opposite sides. Screw fur presses were made at iron foundries to the east or in England, but because they were costly to produce and heavy to transport, they were most likely used only at large fur trading depots such as Grand Portage and Fort William with access to Lake Superior.

Grand Marais, Minnesota · United States