Pierre Chouteau Jr.
Pierre Chouteau Jr. was born in St. Louis, Missouri, United States on January 19th, 1789 and is the American Merchant. At the age of 76, Pierre Chouteau Jr. biography, profession, age, height, weight, eye color, hair color, build, measurements, education, career, dating/affair, family, news updates, and networth are available.
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Pierre Chouteau followed in the family footsteps by starting a trade with the Osage tribe at age 15. He also operated lead mines around Dubuque, Iowa until the War of 1812. Chouteau was a member of Bernard Pratte and Company, the Western agent for John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company in 1827. He pioneered the use of steamboats on the Missouri River.
In 1834, Pratte and Chouteau bought all the Missouri River interests of the Astor Fur company. (The northern portion of Astor's company went to Ramsay Crooks, who retained the "American Fur Company" title for his company.) It was reorganized in 1838 as Pierre Chouteau, Jr. and Company and continued until it dissolved in 1864.
In 1847 Pierre and his brother Auguste established Fort Benton in present-day Chouteau County, Montana as the last fur trading post on the Upper Missouri River.
In the early days, the Chouteau interests supplied pelts for the beaver hat industry. When the industry began to collapse around 1850, they began a trade in buffalo hides. Chouteau also invested heavily in railroads, rolling mills, and mining.
He was an influential contributor to US Senator Thomas Hart Benton. Benton was the namesake for Fort Benton when it was purchased by the US Army in 1865.
Chouteau died at his daughter's home in St. Louis on September 6, 1865.