Other forms: trading posts
A trading post is an old-fashioned market or store in a remote place. In 18th- and 19th-century North America, trading posts were where people exchanged goods and learned the latest news.
Back in the days of trading posts, these small establishments played a big role in the lives of trappers, settlers, and indigenous people. Starting in the 17th century, European traders did business selling and trading wares (including furs, weapons, beads, and blankets) at trading posts, which were sometimes no fancier than a shack. These posts also acted as community centers where people could exchange news before the days of newspapers.