When Irishman John Wark joined the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1814, the firm made him a steward and anglicized his last name to “Work” on his contract. In 1823, after the HBC and Northwest Company merged, the firm assigned him to the Columbia District, the most distant and financially tenuous of HBC’s operations. Work left the York Factory with an expedition led by Peter Skene Ogden. Both would spend their lives traveling about the Oregon Country, expanding the corporation’s fur trade and increasing its profits. In October 1824, they reached the Spokane River and wintered at Spokane House.
While traveling west with Ogden, Work began keeping his first field journal. Historians examining Work’s journals say his writing reveals some education, noting the vocabulary and clarity of the entries. Together, Work’s field notes provide historians insights into the travels of the fur traders and their challenges.
In the fall of 1824, Work traveled with HBC Governor George Simpson and Chief Factor John McLoughlin down the Columbia River to Fort George (now Astoria, Ore.). The following spring, he helped relocate the HBC’s Fort George headquarters to Fort Vancouver on the north bank of the Columbia River. Next, he built Fort Colvile (named for Andrew Colvile, HBC’s London governor) on the Columbia River near Kettle Falls, closing Spokane House in April 1826.
Work traded from Fort Colvile until the summer of 1829, typically traveling to British Columbia or conveying fur goods to Fort Vancouver. In 1830, Work became chief trader and led the Snake Country expedition, traveling 2,000 miles across Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Nevada. He recommended McLoughlin end the unprofitable Snake River trips because Ogden had made the area a “fur desert” to discourage American trappers. His experiences were varied. Botanist David Douglas accompanied him twice. Work drove two horse herds from Kettle Falls to Fort Vancouver.
