Near here in 1812, an advance party of 18 men under Captain Miles Macdonnell established the first British settlement west of the Great Lakes. Sponsored by the Earl of Selkirk and the Hudson's Bay Company, they constructed buildings, prepared fields, and planted crops for the men, women, and children who would begin arriving a few years later. Although far from the nearest source of supplies, the settlers persevered in the face of harsh winters, spring floods, crop failures, and conflicts between rival groups of fur traders. The settlement overcame these and other obstacles to become a thriving and vibrant community.