Fur Traders and Mountain Men of the Upper Missouri

The American Fur Company was the manifestation of John Jacob Astor's empire-building ambitions. Upon Astor's retirement in 1834, this corporate monopolist extended its reach westward from a base on Mackinac Island to outposts beyond the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone Rivers. The book "Fur Traders, Trappers, and Mountain Men of the Upper Missouri" spotlights eighteen individuals who exemplified the American Fur Company and its successors in the Upper Missouri trade. The biographies of these men have been compiled from LeRoy R. Hafen's ten-volume masterpiece, "Mountain Men and the Fur Trade of the Far West."

Within these chapters, readers will encounter the key figures who played pivotal roles in this grand venture. Ramsay Crooks, the mountain man who assumed leadership of the American Fur Company following Astor's departure; Kenneth McKenzie, widely regarded as the "King of the Missouri;" Gabriel Franchere, survivor of the Astorian disaster; and Charles Larpenteur, commander of Fort Union and esteemed chronicler of the fur trade. The book also delves into the lives of William Laidlaw, an intense and driven individual; James Kipp and John Cabanne Sr., both driven by ambition; David Dawson Mitchell and Malcolm Clark, known for their diplomatic skills; James A. Hamilton (Palmer), who suffered from gout; John F. A. Sanford and Francis A. Chardon, both embroiled in controversy; William Gordon, known for his easy-going nature; and William E. Vanderburgh, whose fate was ultimately tragic. The ensemble is completed by Alexander Culbertson, a skilled hunter; Auguste Pike Vasquez, a seasoned mountain man; Henry A. Boller, an educated clerk; and Jean Baptiste Moncravie, a trader and captivating storyteller.

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