Fraser, Simon (1776-1862), was a fur trader and explorer in what is now the Canadian province of British Columbia. He worked for the North West Company, a Montreal fur-trading firm. In 1805, he was put in charge of the company’s operations west of the Rocky Mountains. He built that area’s first trading posts and explored many of its rivers. In 1808, Fraser explored what is now called the Fraser River. Fraser was born in Bennington, Vermont. He moved with his family to Canada when he was a young child. He died on Aug. 18, 1862.
