American Fur Co.
John Jacob Astor's Fond du Lac Fur Empire

Following the War of 1812, the Americans enacted a law that forbade foreign operators to conduct trade operations on American soil. The British-held North West Company operations in this region were soon replaced by John Jacob Astor and his vast American Fur Company empire.

The Northern Outfit of Astor's American Fur Company was considered the richest holdings of the company. The Fond du Lac district of the Northern Outfit covered much of present-day Northern Minnesota. Numerous posts dotted northern Minnesota, but partner and chief factor of the Fond du Lac district, William Aitkin, maintained company headquarters at nearby Sandy lake.

Astor's Company Assumes Dominance

The American Fur Company was formed in the year 1808 by John Jacob Astor. The reports of riches being made in the fur trade in the northwest enticed Astor to enter the field. The report from Zebulon Pike's 1805-06 expedition gave tempting summaries regarding the returns from the British fur trade in the upper Mississippi region. The period following the War of 1812 brought pressure on Congress to remove foreign competition in the fur trade from American soil. Congress passed in Act in 1816 that eventually forced out the North West Company from the region. This created fertile ground for Astor to expand his fur operations, creating an American monopoly of the region.

The Northern Outfit of the American Fur Company included our region and was considered the richest of the company's holdings. The Fond du Lac district of Astor's company covered much of present-day northern Minnesota. The American Fur Company abandoned the old North West Company post at nearby Sandy lake in about 1822 and built a new post between Sandy lake and the Mississippi. The post became company headquarters under William Alexander Aitkin who was the chief factor of the company's Fond du Lac district until about 1838.

The Tide Of Change

The American Fur Company began to rapidly decline by 1840, and their passing in about 1842 signaled a shift in European fur demand away from beaver for hats and felt, to furs used for fashion and trim. Beaver was losing out to silk, as a raw material for hats in European fashion. This same shift in the fur market collapsed the Rocky Mountain fur trade, which relied heavily on beaver demand. Meanwhile, raccoon had replaced beaver as the marketable fur--used in fashion or as trim on garments.

These significant changes in the fur industry also brought about an era when an independent trader could operate with greater efficiency than a large entity like the American Fur Company. The western Great Lakes region was abundant with raccoon and independent traders capitalizing on the raccoon market were able to survive the crash of the beaver market. For a number of reasons, the American Fur Company did not survive the change. William Aitkin, however, became an independent trader and did survive.

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©2007 Aitkin Festival of Adventures Committee


and the Mud River Music Fest

"Festival of Adventures" is a trademark/servicemark of the Aitkin Festival of Adventures Committee

In addition to our Festival of Adventures fur trade rendezvous, we also offer an 1890s pinery camp experience. In the era that followed the statewide Jack Pine harvest, White Oak became an important replacement to Jack Pine. During the pinery camp era, White Oak was cut as a hardwood. White Oak was used in the making of furniture and for cooperage. As the river pigs floated the White Oak logs to the mill, deer would gather along the river to drink. Deer and the river were the constant companions of the men as they floated White Oak to the mill each spring.