Built by William Henry of the North West Company in 1811 to support David Thompson's exploration of Athabasca Pass, Henry House stood at the head of navigation on the Athabasca River. When the pass became the principal route to the Pacific, it served as a staging point where travellers crossing the mountains changed from water to land transport. In the late 1820's, the post was in charge of a trader called Miette, who gave his name to the nearby Miette River. Henry House was closed in the 1830's.