Alexander Ross (fur trader)

Alexander Ross (1783 – 1856) was a Scottish-Canadian fur trader, author, and pioneer who played a significant role in the early history of the Pacific Northwest. He is best known for his involvement in the Astor Expedition and his subsequent career with the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company.

Born in Nairnshire, Scotland, Ross emigrated to Upper Canada (now Ontario) in 1805. In 1810, he joined John Jacob Astor's Pacific Fur Company as a clerk and was part of the overland expedition to establish Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River. He experienced the hardships and challenges of the expedition firsthand, which he later documented.

Following the sale of Fort Astoria to the North West Company during the War of 1812, Ross entered the service of the North West Company. He continued to work in the Columbia District, involved in trading and exploring the region.

After the merger of the North West Company and the Hudson's Bay Company in 1821, Ross transitioned into the Hudson's Bay Company's service. He was stationed at various posts, including Fort Walla Walla, where he played a key role in managing trade relations with local Indigenous peoples.

In the late 1820s, Ross retired from the fur trade and settled in the Red River Colony (now Manitoba). He became a prominent member of the Red River community, serving as a sheriff and participating in local governance.

Ross is also remembered as an author. He wrote three books detailing his experiences in the fur trade and the Pacific Northwest: Adventures of The First Settlers on the Oregon or Columbia River: Being a Narrative of the Expedition of Messrs. Astor's Company, For Forming a Settlement at Astoria, On the Columbia River; with an Account of Some Indian Tribes on the Coast of the Pacific (1849), The Fur Hunters of the Far West: A Narrative of Adventures in the Oregon and Rocky Mountains (1855), and The Red River Settlement: Its Rise, Progress, and Present State (1856). These books provide valuable firsthand accounts of the fur trade, the lives of Indigenous peoples, and the early settlement of the West. Alexander Ross's writings remain important primary sources for historians studying this period.