By the French Company Maximilian intends a firm composed of Papin, Cerré, and Picotte, which in 1830 sold out to the American Fur Company. Its career was but about three years long.—Ed.
[163] The Columbia Fur Company was organized after the consolidation of the British companies (1821) had thrown a number of enterprising Scotch and Canadian traders out of employment. Its leading spirits were Kenneth McKenzie, William Laidlaw, and Daniel Lamont. Organized to trade within the boundaries of the United States, it was technically known as Tilton and Company, of New York. The chief outfitting post was built upon Lake Traverse, Minnesota, whence passage to the upper Missouri was quickly secured. The operations of this company harassed the American Fur Company, which in 1827 entered into a combination with the Columbia, thus securing control of the upper Missouri trade. See Chittenden, Fur-Trade, i, pp. 323-327.—Ed.
[164] For Ramsay Crooks, see our volume v, p. 36, note 3.—Ed.
[165] The Rocky Mountain Fur Company—first under General William H. Ashley, later under the Sublettes, Thomas Fitzpatrick, etc.—absorbed a large proportion of the Western fur-trade in the decade before Maximilian arrived in St. Louis. It was one of their caravans that Captain Stewart urged the prince to accompany. Consult our volume xxi, for the operations of this corporation.—Ed.
[166] Mr. Schoolcraft, in his latest journey to Itasca Lake (page 35), gives a short history of the fur trade, which, in many places, has already fallen into entire decay; for instance, on Lake St. Croix (page 141), if the inhabitants of those parts do not take to agriculture, they must emigrate or starve.—Maximilian.
[167] For the early history of the Hudson's Bay and North West companies see preface to J. Long's Voyages, in our volume ii.—Ed.
[168] The "Upper Missouri Outfit" branch of the American Fur Company controlled the upper Missouri and its tributaries, from the date of consolidation with the Columbia Company (1827) until the advance of emigration and settlement made fur-trapping unprofitable.—Ed.
[169] For Major Benjamin O'Fallon and John Dougherty, see Faux's Journal in our volume xii, p. 49, note 127, and James's Long's Expedition, in our volume xiv, p. 126, note 92.—Ed.
[170] Pierre Chouteau, jr., son of the elder of that name (for whom see our volume xvi, p. 275, note 127), was born at St. Louis, January 19, 1789; among his family he was known as "Cadet." Early evincing unusual talents as a trader, he entered his father's business at the age of sixteen. The years 1806-08 he spent at the lead mines with Julien Dubuque, and in 1809 made his first fur-trade voyage to the upper Missouri, whose commercial destinies he was so long to control. In 1813 he formed a partnership on his own account with Bartholomew Berthold, which operated independently until they were bought out by the American Fur Company, for whom Chouteau became local manager. Later he extended his financial operations to New York, and became one of the moneyed princes of that city, although dying in St. Louis in 1865. His public services were chiefly local, but he served in the state constitutional convention of 1820. He was interested in scientific pursuits, and ready to assist travellers bound on such errands.
For Kenneth McKenzie see Wyeth's Oregon, in our volume xxi, p. 45, note 25. The winter of 1834-35 McKenzie paid a visit to Prince Maximilian in his German home, where he was received with much hospitality and brought news to his host of recent affairs on the Missouri, which the latter reports in the appendix to the German edition of his work, ii, p. 616.—Ed.