My First Years in the Fur Trade: The Journals of 1802-1804

by George Nelson, Laura Peers (Editor), Theresa M. Schenck (Editor)

Captivated by tales of adventure, 15-year-old George Nelson left his family in Quebec in 1802 and headed to the Northwest Territory to work for Sir Alexander Mackenzie's XY Company, one of the major fur trade companies of the time. Required to keep a daily log as a fur trade clerk, his growth from homesick lad to experienced fur trader forms the heart of this journal. He recorded his feelings and thoughts, and was a vital witness to all that went on around him. Nelson's journals are particularly valuable for their candid observations on the customs and culture of the Ojibwa people and provide some of the most detailed descriptions available of Ojibwa spiritual practices. Long treasured by fur trade historians, the early journals of George Nelson are published here in their entirety for the first time. Careful editing and annotation by Laura Peers and Theresa Schenck explain references to people and Ojibwa culture and provide context on the North American fur trade.

234 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2002

Reviews

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are the diaries and recollections of a 16 year old clerk first years as a trader with the NW Company. It is not your typical look at the fur trade. Nelson had a good eye for seeing and telling the details of those dealt with while trading in northwest Wisconsin.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amazing as a historical primary source, but of far more interest to researchers than to more general readers.

[Sherri Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this journal. Good book to read on the fur trade. Rereading it I picked up more information than the first time.