The Fur Trade in Michigan's History

The Fur Trade in Michigan's History

Materials available at the Library of Michigan.  Check with your local library for other holdings.

The fur trade was a vital industry in the Great Lakes region long before Michigan became a state. From the early days of French-Canadian "voyageurs" who travelled the waterways in birch-bark canoes, trappers and traders followed their business from the Straits of Mackinac to the Straits of Detroit and beyond.

Below is a selection of materials in the Library. To generate a more comprehensive list, use our online ANSWER catalog under these subjects:

Frontier and Pioneer Life -- Michigan

Fur Garments

Fur Trade

Fur Traders

Great Lakes Region -- History

Michigan -- History

Pioneers -- Michigan

Trapping -- Michigan

Selected Titles:

Burnett, William.
Letter book of William Burnett: early fur trader in the Land of four flags.
MICH. F566.B92 1967

Cadillac, Antoine de la Mothe.
The western country in the 17th century; the memoirs of Lamothe Cadillac and Pierre Liette.
MICH. E78.N76 C3 1947

Epstein, Sam.
Dr. Beaumont and the man with the hole in his stomach.
MICH. QP145.E67

Ford, R. Clyde.
A tale of the Mackinaw fur trade: Sandy MacDonald's man.
MICH. PZ3.F7556 Sanz 1985

Fur trade (picture).
MICH. Oversize F551.F9 1985

Gilman, Carolyn.
Where two worlds meet: the Great Lakes fur trade.
MICH. HD9944.U46 G744 1982

Gilman, Rhoda R.
The fur trade in the upper Mississippi Valley, 1630-1850.  
MICH. HD9944.U63 M6 1974

Hamil, Frederick Coyne.
When beaver was king.
MICH. HD9778.U63 M53 1951

Henry, Alexander.
Massacre at Mackinac: Alexander Henry's travels and adventures in Canada and the Indian territories between the years 1760 and 1764.
MICH DOCS 2S   F551 .H42 1966

The historic Johnston family of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
MICH. F 574 .S3 H57 1982

Johnson, Ida Amanda.
The Michigan fur trade.
MICH. HD9944.U46 M5 1971

Kozlak, Chet.
A Great Lakes fur trade coloring book = Les fourrures et les Grands lacs cahier a colorier.  
MICH. HD9944.U46 G756z 1981

Nute, Grace Lee.
The voyageur.
MICH. F1027.N96 1986

Prescott, Philander.
The recollections of Philander Prescott, frontiersman of the Old Northwest, 1819-1862.
MICH. F606.P74 1966

Russell, Donna Valley.
Michigan voyageurs from the notary book of Samuel Abbott, Mackinac Island, 1807-1817.
MICH. CS88.Q4 M53 1982

Wheeler, Robert C.
A toast to the fur trade: a picture essay on its material culture.
MICH. F597.W57 1985

updated 08/09/2016