▁ 1 7 3 4 ▁two ▁expl or ers ▁reported ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁reached ▁the ▁south ▁end ▁of ▁Lake ▁W inn ip eg , ▁and ▁La ▁V ér end ry e ▁ordered ▁the ▁first ▁Fort ▁Ma ure pas ▁to ▁be ▁built ▁there ▁soon ▁after . ▁By ▁ 1 7 4 3 ▁the ▁French ▁had ▁reached ▁the ▁Ass in ib o ine ▁and ▁S ask atch ew an ▁rivers ▁and ▁had ▁sent ▁expl or ers ▁to ▁present - day ▁North ▁Dak ota ▁and , ▁probably , ▁Wy oming ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁ ▁All ▁this ▁drew ▁trade ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁Hudson ' s ▁Bay ▁Company . ▁After ▁the ▁British ▁con quest ▁of ▁Canada ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁its ▁victory ▁in ▁the ▁Seven ▁Years ' ▁War , ▁French ▁trad ers ▁were ▁largely ▁replaced ▁by ▁" ped l ars " ▁( as ▁the ▁H BC ▁people ▁called ▁them ) ▁from ▁Montreal . ▁The ▁ped l ars ▁soon ▁formed ▁the ▁North ▁West ▁Company , ▁which ▁was ▁capital ized ▁by ▁both ▁English ▁and ▁Sc ots . ▁From ▁about ▁ 1 7 7 5 ▁the ▁H BC ▁began ▁building ▁compet ing ▁posts ▁in ▁the ▁interior , ▁including ▁one ▁on ▁the ▁Rain y ▁River . ▁Compet ition ▁ended ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 1 ▁when ▁the ▁two ▁companies ▁merged ▁and ▁trade ▁was ▁di vert ed ▁to ▁York ▁Factory ▁on ▁Hudson ▁Bay . ▁Trade ▁was ▁also ▁di vert ed ▁south ▁as ▁population ▁grew ▁on ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁side . ▁The ▁last ▁major ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁route ▁was ▁by