[2] Before 1793 there were ill-documented independent traders in the area and perhaps in 1793 a small post was established two miles upstream from the Souris by Ronald Cameron, a clerk to Peter Grant.
In 1793, Donald McKay le malin and John Sutherland of the Hudson's Bay company established Brandon House about 100 yards away from the new NWC post.
McKay lived up to his nickname by shooting at Joseph Augé who ran the NWC post.
Using dog sleds or horses, they followed the Souris River as far as Minot, North Dakota and then headed southwest across the prairie.
[4] In 1798, the XY Company built Fort La Souris on the opposite (south) bank of the river.
When the two companies merged in 1821 Brandon House was moved across the river to Fort La Souris.
In 1821, the two companies merged and Brandon House was moved to the Fort La Souris site.
Brandon House was re-established in 1828 to prevent the Indians from taking their trade to Pembina, North Dakota.
[1] A man named Barkley from the United States had a post between the first two locations at an unknown date.
Kavanagh (1946) has this as 49°42′19″N 99°40′09″W / 49.70528°N 99.66917°W / 49.70528; -99.66917, but he also puts the first Brandon House on the east bank at this location which was probably the NWC post.
[5]: 31 The third (or fourth) location is about 15 km northeast of the first, probably near the cairn erected in October 1828 at 49°46′42″N 99°44′46″W / 49.77833°N 99.74611°W / 49.77833; -99.74611 by Chief Trader Francis Heron.