Fur Trade
350 to 150 years ago
The arrival of Europeans changed everything for Native people. They traded furs and services for manufactured goods. Augustin Grignon established the first permanent post in Winnebago County in 1818. This was a period filled with both cooperation and conflict.
The Fur Trade began in the east and moved toward Wisconsin when beaver and other fur animals became scarce. Intertribal wars developed and many eastern tribes fled to Wisconsin causing upheaval and stress. European diseases brought more devastation. Native pursuit of furs for the trade disrupted long-established life ways. However, ever resourceful and resilient Native people learned to adapt to the new ways and new technologies.
