DCHP-1 Online

depot Also spelled depôt Fur Trade, Hist.

• 1 n. a trading post which also served as a warehouse for supplies for other posts.

  • 1784-1812  (1964)  The greatest use of the Winepeg House is for a depot of Provisions, which are brought to this place by the canoes and boats from the Bison countries of the Red and Saskatchewan Rivers, and distributed to the canoes and boats for the voyages to the several wintering furr trading Houses.
  • 1836  (1851)  Spring: In Spring Mr. McPherson went off with the brigade . . . leaving me in charge of the Depot.
  • 1952  (1954)  We were told that in the Great Lakes' service, between the Northwest depot at Fort William and Montreal, there was an even larger type in regular use: the canot du maitre . . . .

• 2 n. Obs. a storing place where supplies, furs, equipment and other goods may be deposited for protection from foraging animals and the weather.

  See also: cache ((n.)) (def. 2)  

  • 1852  A depôt of one bag of dog pemmican, a small bag of bread, and one case, 90 lbs., of pemmican, was left, partly for our return, but principally because all the sledges had full allowance without them

• 3 n. Lumbering, Hist. a farm, operated by a lumber company or privately owned, supplying fresh meat and vegetables, oats, etc. to lumber camps and often serving as a repository for supplies.

  See also: depot farm  forest depot  

  • 1883  He generally makes his habitat about the farm or depot of the [lumbering] concern.
  • 1891  This depot was simply a large farm in the midst of a wilderness of trees, and forming a center from which some half dozen shanties, or lumber camps, placed at different distances in the depths of the forest . . . were supplied with all that was necessary for their maintenance.
  • 1961  He began clearing land on what was later referred to as "The Farm," although it was a depot for lumbering rather than agriculture.