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Chicago history: Fr. Marquette's journey
The route Father Marquette and his companions followed is marked by places named for him and by him all along the way. Dense forests made travel by canoe the fastest, most efficient mode of...
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Father Marquette's death and legacy
After wintering in Chicago with Pierre Moreau, a wood-ranger, and the Illinois Indians, Father Marquette’s health improved. He spent Easter at Grand Village on the Illinois River, near Starved Rock,...
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The greening of the Chicago River
Fifty-two years ago, an intelligent, dedicated plumber toiled every day to keep the Chicago River safe from criminals plotting to contaminate it with illegal dumping. This plumber detected leaks with...
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Louis Jolliet, early years
Louis Jolliet, also Joliet plus other spelling variations, explored the Mississippi River with Father Jacques Marquette, and he was also a musician, a fur trader, a merchant, a hydrographer, a...
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Louis Jolliet, his later years
After Jolliet and Marquette completed their expedition, they parted in Green Bay. Jolliet and his companions were caught in the treacherous Lachine rapids near Montreal. His men were drowned, and his...
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Chicago history: La Salle
René-Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle, explored the Great Lakes, Canada, the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. La Salle’s main interest and pursuit was acquiring land in New France for King...
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La Salle's first voyage
When La Salle and Henri de Tonti returned from France, La Salle rebuilt the wooden stockade Fort Frontenac with stone to fortify it and to protect the fur trade on Lake Ontario. Then he began a...
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La Salle's ongoing adventures
Three possible explanations were offered for the disappearance of “Le Griffon”. Father Louis Hennepin wrote in his journal that he believed the schooner was lost in a violent storm. La Salle’s...
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La Salle's final voyages and legacy
In 1682, René-Robert de La Salle, Henri de Tonti, Father Zenobe Membre and their assistants traveled the Mississippi River. On April 9, 1682, they reached the mouth and claimed the river, all its...
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The development of the fur trade
All the ingredients were in place for the development of the fur trade in the Great Lakes region. Forts and trading posts were constructed throughout the area. Furs from nearly every mammal living in...
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The growth of the fur trade
The early fur trade involved individual traders, but in the late 1600s, companies developed and fur trading became big business in the Great Lakes region. Wars greatly impacted fur trading in the...
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Chicago and the American Fur Company
John Jacob Astor formed the American Fur Company in 1808, to compete with the Canadian fur trade monopoly. He bought out private traders in Chicago and throughout the Great Lakes region. After the War...
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Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable
The Chicago fur trade brought many trappers and traders to the area, but few stayed for any length of time. The exception was Jean Baptiste Pointe du Sable, the Father of Chicago. His intriguing life...
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Du Sable, Part 2
The Treaty of Paris, which ended the American Revolution, was signed in 1783. The following year, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable and his family left the Sinclair estate for present day Illinois and the...
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Du Sable, Part 3
Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable lived in St. Charles, Missouri until his death. He farmed and traded fur, and his grandchildren Eulalie and Michael lived with him.On August 28, 1818, Du Sable passed from...
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John Jacob Astor
While John Jacob Astor never visited Chicago, his American Fur Company profoundly affected the development and settlement of Chicago.Astor (Johann Jakob Astor) was born on July 17, 1763, in Walldorf,...
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J. J. Astor, Part 2
The Jay Treaty (1794) determined the U.S. and Canadian borders and opened new fur markets in Canada and the Great Lakes. John Jacob Astor sailed to London and contracted with the North West Company of...
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J. J. Astor, Part 3
During his early business career, John Jacob Astor preferred diversity in his ventures. This diversity continued most of his life. When he was engaged in his fur and shipping businesses, he entered...
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J. J. Astor, Part 4
After John Jacob Astor sold the American Fur Company, he discharged some of his other ventures and decided to concentrate his efforts in real estate in both New York City and New York State. He seldom...
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Antoine Deschamps
The fascinating lives of the men engaged in the fur trade have filled many books. These traders were sometimes well-educated, always resourceful and repeatedly courageous survivors. They often served...
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