History of Fur Beaver, wolf, marten, mink, fox, lynx; all were
names that lured European men into the North American wilderness
long before Jefferson and Franklin met in Philadelphia. The
French went up the Saint Lawrence and over the Great Lakes and
onto the Canadian Plains and north to the Yukon; all for the
purpose of finding fur. Early American colonials crossed the
Blue Ridge Mountains, went south of the Great Lakes and across
the Great Plains into the Rocky Mountains and the Northwest;
looking for fur. Why? Fur was in great demand back in the Old
Country. Fur was used for coats for fine ladies and hats for
gentlemen. Fur was needed to trim coats for workingmen and their
families. Mufflers for children and blankets for babies were all
made with fur. Fortunes were made and names like Hudson Bay
Company and Jacob Astor became part of our history. Our first
information of what lay in the interior of this continent came
from fur traders who bargained with the Indians and trappers.
Most trappers today represe