Click to Enlarge Trappers and traders braved the dangerous wilderness to obtain fur. This trapper (top left) strikes steel against flint, causing a spark that will ignite tinder cupped in his hand. He'll use the burning tinder to start a camp fire. Indians (top right) sometimes traded furs for small bells and cones they used for making jewelry. Click to Enlarge (1) Beavers construct dams to make deep-water pools. They then pile up sticks in the pool to make lodges or homes. A lodge may be up to 7 feet high and 40 feet wide. (2) A beaver lodge has an underwater entrance. The floor inside the lodge is above water. (3) Beavers cut down 2- to 8-inch trees by standing on their hind feet and gnawing with their front teeth. They use the trees for food and building materials. (4) A beaver swims with branches in its mouth. It eats the bark and adds the twigs to the lodge or dam. (5) Beavers dig bank dens along rivers where water is too deep or swift for building a lodge. Bank dens also have underwater entrances.   Where the Fur Trade Began by Martha Daniels The fur trade went through St. Louis, priming Missouri for settlement. The St. Louis riverfront, where the Gateway Arch stands today, was where the west began in the late 1700s. Traders loaded their boats and canoes with items to trade for fur and traveled up the Missouri River. There were no farms and towns in Missouri yet. This was the edge of the frontier. The traders returned to St. Louis each spring, their boats piled high with furs. The beautiful beaver furs of this rough country were in high demand in Europe. Traders obtained furs by bartering (trading without money) with the native tribes in Missouri and beyond. European goods, such as wool blankets, beads, jewelry, guns, whiskey, cloth, mirrors, knives, cooking pots and iron tomahawks, were in great demand among the Indians. The Fur Trade Town Pierre Laclede founded St. Louis in 1763 as a French post for trading furs. Back then, the region belonged to France. Laclede trusted his 14-year-old stepson, Auguste Chouteau, to oversee building the first St. Louis homes. Soon, Missouri and Osage Tribes visited the new village. Laclede wanted furs to ship to Europe and the Osage wanted the metal tools and decorations they saw. By 1787, nearly 1,000 people lived in St. Louis, and fur trading was an important part of the economy. In 1794, Chouteau had a monopoly on trade with the Osage tribes. That means he worked out agreements so that only he could trade for Osage furs. St. Louis soon was the center of the world's fur trade. It grew quickly because it was on the banks of two major rivers, the Mississippi and Missouri. Also, the Illinois and Ohio rivers were nearby for eastern travelers. To the west, hundreds of miles of the Missouri River provided access to wilderness territory that was rich with fur. Fur trade was hard work. It required men who were strong and brave adventurers. Traders traveled to new regions not knowing what they would find. They encountered dangerous animals, harsh weather and unfriendly Indians, but they also found beautiful prairies, mountains and clear blue streams, as well as tribes eager to trade. The trips were hard, but traders could make lots of money because the demand for fur was very strong. Tip Your Hat to the Beaver! Beavers are difficult to hunt. They live in thick lodges and are excellent swimmers. The Indians were very good at hunting beaver. They would block the doors to a lodge, then break through the roof to get the animals. Beaver were usually hunted or trapped in the winter, when their fur is thickest. Beaver fur has a coarse outer hair and a downy soft, shorter hair. When pressed together, it made an excellent felt or fabric. Tall hats made of beaver felt were very fashionable in Europe. Beaver pelts were usually stretched on willow hoops to dry. The traders then packed the dried furs tight in large presses, wrapped them in deer hides and transported them to warehouses in St. Louis. From there, the pelts were shipped to Europe. Commerce for the U.S. President Thomas Jefferson understood how important the fur trade was for the new United States. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, President Jefferson wanted to explore the new territories and establish ties with native tribes, so he sent Meriwether Lewis and William Clark into the far west. The fur trade grew very fast after Lewis and Clark returned in 1806. Boatmen, or voyageurs (vwa-a-JURZ), moved keelboats loaded with tons of trade goods up the rivers. At the beginning of the fur trade, native tribes welcomed the trade, but as more Europeans and settlers moved into their territory, wildlife began to disappear, and Indians feared for their land. By 1820, trading gave way to trapping. For the next 30 years, mountain men trapped and sold beaver, mink, otter, skunk, raccoon, fox and badger furs. In 1831, the American Fur Company sent the first steamboat, the Yellowstone, up the Missouri River. Changing Hats In Europe, beaver hats fell out of fashion as wealthy people began wearing silk hats, and working people preferred wool caps. The fall in demand for beaver had a dramatic effect on the American fur trade. Beaver pelt prices dropped from $5 in 1829 to only 85 cents in 1846. The supply of beaver fur fell, too, because 60 years of overhunting left beaver populations very low. Settlers moved in as the fur industry wound down. Old trading posts soon became towns and cities. Trails became roads. Missouri became a territory and, in 1821, a state. The fur trade had brought people, prosperity and progress to the new frontier. The Fellow with the Fur The beaver has fascinated Americans for centuries. People admire its plush coat and its building skills. Beavers can grow to 4 1/2 feet long and weigh 25 to 90 pounds. They have dark, thick fur and large webbed hind feet that are good for working in the mud. Their 10- to 15-inch long flattened tail helps them swim and keeps them steady while cutting trees. Beavers sometimes use their flat tail to signal other beavers. When danger is near, they'll whack it against the water, making a loud "smack." Beavers live along streams, rivers, marshes and lakes, and swimming is their specialty. Beavers can close their ears and nose for deep diving. In the water, a beaver propels itself with its webbed feet and flat tail. They have large lungs, too. They can hold their breath long enough to allow them to stay underwater for up to 15 minutes. A beaver, like other rodents, uses its two big front teeth for gnawing. They eat mostly trees and bark, so the teeth are worn down constantly and grow their entire lives. Along the Missouri River, they eat mostly cottonwood and willow trees. Beavers are primarily nocturnal. They work the night shift! To prepare for winter, beavers store tree branches in deep pools. Beavers live in large families. The young stay with their parents for two years. Kits are born in May with full fur coats and sharp teeth. They can even swim, but they usually don't come out of the lodge or den until they are about one month old.