Fur trading was a very important part of the development of the Wisconsin area and most of North America. If it was not for the men who went out as fur traders, most of the geography of the land would not have been known and many good relations with the natives would have been lost.
Early North American Settlements
As North America was settled, most colonies could be found on the east coast from New England area down. These became highly concentrated settlements that became more congested before they began spreading out. There was too much fear of spreading from the coast as the settlers had no idea what lay before them in the unknown wilderness. This left so much land unexplored and feared.
Fur Traders as Pioneers
It took rugged men, mainly French, who were not afraid of the loneliness of the wilderness to brave the unknown. These men set out with only what they could transport alone and could trade with the natives. Many fur traders did their own hunting and trapping but they knew that they were limited on how far they could go as the demand for pelts increased in Europe.
By doing this, the fur traders were scouting the land and unknowingly paving the way for settlers. They learned the lay of the land, made first contact with many tribes, and established relationships with those tribes.
Trading Posts Became Settlement Anchors
In the beginning of the fur trading business, the fur traders ventured out into the wilderness and returned right back to the settlements. As the wildlife began to suffer from over hunting, they moved further west into the wilderness. The further the fur traders went, the longer it took to get back to the settlements to sell their furs. It made sense to establish trading posts that could be the bridge between the fur traders out in the field to the settlements in the East. As the range of the fur trader expanded, more trade posts were built along the route to make the fur trading easier. It did not take long before many of these trading posts had small settlements and even forts form around them.
Settlement Followed the Fur
As the trading posts were established and the settlements began to grow, the foundation of most large cities, including Milwaukee, was laid. It was due to a trading post for fur that Milwaukee found its official start. The fur trade was going further west. A trading post was needed to link the supply to the demand. Milwaukee became one of many trading posts that brought settlement around it and grew into something the early settlers never dreamed of.
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