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Forty Years a Fur Trader On the Upper Missouri: The Personal Narrative of Charles Larpenteur, 1833-1872
Charles Larpenteur, born 1803, died 1872, was an American fur trader, whose memoir and diary frequently have been used as a source to fur trade history.
During his forty years in the fur trade Larpenteur diligently kept a diary, using it as a source to complement his memory when he wrote his memoir. Unable to finance publication of the memoir, he sent the manuscript to Washington Matthews, a U.S. Army surgeon he had learned to know at Fort Buford. At the end of the century, Matthews transferred the manuscript to Elliott Coues, a brother officer in the Medical Corps; a version was hence published in 1898.
During his forty years in the fur trade Larpenteur diligently kept a diary, using it as a source to complement his memory when he wrote his memoir. Unable to finance publication of the memoir, he sent the manuscript to Washington Matthews, a U.S. Army surgeon he had learned to know at Fort Buford. At the end of the century, Matthews transferred the manuscript to Elliott Coues, a brother officer in the Medical Corps; a version was hence published in 1898.
106 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 1989
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 5, 2018
Imagine Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy blended with Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, but factual, autobiographical, and delivered with a detached stoicism that speaks volumes about an industry of casual destruction and a culture of easy sociopathy.
Forty Years is as fascinating as it is horrifying, however, and taught me more about the intimate realities of the ahead-of-the-frontier life in what is now the Dakotas and Montana circa mid-19th century, the post-voyageur-era fur trade, and the American Fur Company's internal operations in particular, than I knew it was possible to learn.
I recommend it to anyone who likes first-hand accounts of murder, hard travel, and hard living, or anyone with interest in an Old North West prior to the arrival of railroads, towns, or "government" of any but the most rudimentary and profit-driven sort.
Forty Years is as fascinating as it is horrifying, however, and taught me more about the intimate realities of the ahead-of-the-frontier life in what is now the Dakotas and Montana circa mid-19th century, the post-voyageur-era fur trade, and the American Fur Company's internal operations in particular, than I knew it was possible to learn.
I recommend it to anyone who likes first-hand accounts of murder, hard travel, and hard living, or anyone with interest in an Old North West prior to the arrival of railroads, towns, or "government" of any but the most rudimentary and profit-driven sort.
September 17, 2023
Mostly a good read.
A rather strange account.
First we have the account of the author’s life work as a trader at various establishments set up in order to trade furs and goods. This makes for good reading.
The strange thing about it being that the traders themselves actually dealt with enemy Indians as well as friends. This is odd to me.
It’s as if anyone who came to a fort to trade, whether friend or foe , automatically becomes exempt from the enemy status during the trading. After the trading, the Indian enemy could kill the trader outside the fort the very next day if they caught up with them. I find this hard to swallow.
Secondly, the author seems to lose his way somewhat during the latter part of the book. Nothing he says makes much sense and a lot of personal ramblings goes on and on. It is clear that a lot of personal attacks are made with regards to the people who had power and authority over him.
His wife and children’s deaths are skimmed over rather quickly and seem to be of little concern. It could well be too painful and personal to be written about but leaves an awful taste in my mouth. I don’t understand this.
Thirdly, the author rambles on at the end about how he thinks the Indian problem should be handled. He goes on and on about what he believes should have been done to sort the Indians out.
Some good reading but his account of the trading days are either fabricated or all the many, many other mountain men, traders, trappers etc are talking nonsense. I am left with not exactly knowing what to believe anymore. Confused.com so to speak.
A rather strange account.
First we have the account of the author’s life work as a trader at various establishments set up in order to trade furs and goods. This makes for good reading.
The strange thing about it being that the traders themselves actually dealt with enemy Indians as well as friends. This is odd to me.
It’s as if anyone who came to a fort to trade, whether friend or foe , automatically becomes exempt from the enemy status during the trading. After the trading, the Indian enemy could kill the trader outside the fort the very next day if they caught up with them. I find this hard to swallow.
Secondly, the author seems to lose his way somewhat during the latter part of the book. Nothing he says makes much sense and a lot of personal ramblings goes on and on. It is clear that a lot of personal attacks are made with regards to the people who had power and authority over him.
His wife and children’s deaths are skimmed over rather quickly and seem to be of little concern. It could well be too painful and personal to be written about but leaves an awful taste in my mouth. I don’t understand this.
Thirdly, the author rambles on at the end about how he thinks the Indian problem should be handled. He goes on and on about what he believes should have been done to sort the Indians out.
Some good reading but his account of the trading days are either fabricated or all the many, many other mountain men, traders, trappers etc are talking nonsense. I am left with not exactly knowing what to believe anymore. Confused.com so to speak.
August 8, 2017
I enjoyed this book. The details it provided concerning Indian customs and culture as well as the fur trade made it very interesting. Prior to reading this book my impression was that the bulk of the fur trade was done with anglo trappers - not so, at least not on the upper Missouri River. In the last chapter of the book, Larpenteur provides insight as to the customs and culture of the Indians in the area. He also gives his thoughts on the government's policies in dealing with the Indians, in particular the placement of military forts along the Missouri which he saw as un-necessary. This was something that struck a chord with me as my wife and I recently visited Fort Buford and its cemetery. We were both surprised at how few of the graves were due to being killed by Indians. Most of the deaths were due to disease or accidents. We both commented at the time that maybe there wasn't much fighting with the Indians in this area. Apparently, Larpenteur was right!
May 30, 2025
A witty storyteller introduces us (he refers to the reader on numerous occasions) to the life in the forts along Missouri which alternates between fights, drinking spree (as the author didn’t drink, he was assigned to the bar) and trade in buffalo hides. As this area was outside the US at the time, a lot of killing goes unpunished and vendettas are numerous.
The last chapters also covers some Indian customs (Charles Larpenteur was married twice to Native Americans) and also the authors opinion on the failed use of forts and Indian agents to manage the tribes.
I think this book captures the mood of those bygone days, seen through the lens of a “civilised” white sympathetic to the Native Americans, but seeing no good future for them. But even so, the book has an optimistic tone (as poor Charles loses wives and children during his tale, he doesn’t dole out blame, but fatalistically accepts their deaths.)
The last chapters also covers some Indian customs (Charles Larpenteur was married twice to Native Americans) and also the authors opinion on the failed use of forts and Indian agents to manage the tribes.
I think this book captures the mood of those bygone days, seen through the lens of a “civilised” white sympathetic to the Native Americans, but seeing no good future for them. But even so, the book has an optimistic tone (as poor Charles loses wives and children during his tale, he doesn’t dole out blame, but fatalistically accepts their deaths.)
May 31, 2025
It's a valuable first-person account of the American frontier. Though the author seems to have written a lot of it some years or decades after the experiences he recounts, and it seems like he may have embellished them a little bit. Nonetheless, the descriptions of life and its challenges in the 1800s leave an impression on the reader, as the stakes were mortal and physical and not just social and intellectual. It was a tough time!
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July 25, 2020We have a national delusion that the West was won by families setting up housekeeping in the wilderness. Before that, before manifest destiny, there were fur traders. Larpenteur's narrative portrays the restlessness and violence of these early businessmen, and their conflicted attitude toward the Native Americans.
January 7, 2018
Good read of an original source
First hand account of a fit trader through the ups and downs of his career. Heartbreaking in its starkness at times. Good impressions of a hard life
First hand account of a fit trader through the ups and downs of his career. Heartbreaking in its starkness at times. Good impressions of a hard life
March 12, 2018
Great memoir of a fur trapper. This book describes the life and travels along the Missouri River. I got lost in my head as I read the book. It was well written and edited. Worth the read for anyone who loves the outdoors.
July 29, 2019
Great book, outstanding details.
Great details of this man's life . Two families both devastated my deaths . Detailed writing with good descriptions of interaction with other traders . Read several books this gentleman's notes intertwined with other traders and other books .
Great details of this man's life . Two families both devastated my deaths . Detailed writing with good descriptions of interaction with other traders . Read several books this gentleman's notes intertwined with other traders and other books .
February 19, 2018
Hard to follow
Not a good book. Hard to make sense. Events do not seem to follow in order. I would not recommend this book
..
Not a good book. Hard to make sense. Events do not seem to follow in order. I would not recommend this book
..
Read
December 18, 2020I liked learning about Charles Larpenteur and about his life on the upper Missouri. Overall, I enjoyed learning about his life as an American fur trader.
Want to read
February 9, 202405/12/19
August 15, 2020
Interesting to read an account of the upper Missouri post Lewis and Clark. Unfortunately, the writer assumes we're aware of all current events and practices. He glosses over details of his personal life (got married, had 6 kids, etc.). Frankly, 10 years a fur trader would have been more than enough.
June 14, 2024
The large pages were difficult to read and the narrative was disjointed but I appreciated the candor of the topic that showed the harshness of the life at that time.
April 18, 2016
I love the writings of the early trappers and fur traders in the west. Larpenteur's prose is fluid and mellifluous and yet describes perfectly much of the terrible hardship and deprivation of the early western pioneers, fur merchants and trappers in their dealings with the various Indian tribes.
The author's accounts in "Forty Years a Fur Trader..." match exactly the resource material that I referenced when writing my third novel, "Counting Coup: The Odyssey of Captain Tom Adams" which gave me great pleasure when encountering the likes of Major Dripps, Jim Bridger and others.
Larpenteur's travels and interactions with the various fur companies, traders and other white men at times tended to lose me: who was so and so, what was their position and status, etc. but this is just a small distraction as he painted the picture of a western frontier where no quarter was asked and none given.
The author's accounts in "Forty Years a Fur Trader..." match exactly the resource material that I referenced when writing my third novel, "Counting Coup: The Odyssey of Captain Tom Adams" which gave me great pleasure when encountering the likes of Major Dripps, Jim Bridger and others.
Larpenteur's travels and interactions with the various fur companies, traders and other white men at times tended to lose me: who was so and so, what was their position and status, etc. but this is just a small distraction as he painted the picture of a western frontier where no quarter was asked and none given.
January 30, 2015
Another look at life in the Western Plains
After reading the experiences of Commanders in the far Western Plains and biographies of Red Cloud, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse it was interesting to see the experiences of the gentlemen who rode the line between them, the traders. I first read Jim Bridger and then Charles Larpenteur.
The thing that most struck me was that they were literate, actually well educated for the period. They not only understood the Indians but respected them, in the Indian way. Unfortunately, the white men who were sent to"tame" or kill the Indians never took the advice of these men.
This book is insightful as well as entertaining and is an easy read. I hope you will enjoy it.
After reading the experiences of Commanders in the far Western Plains and biographies of Red Cloud, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse it was interesting to see the experiences of the gentlemen who rode the line between them, the traders. I first read Jim Bridger and then Charles Larpenteur.
The thing that most struck me was that they were literate, actually well educated for the period. They not only understood the Indians but respected them, in the Indian way. Unfortunately, the white men who were sent to"tame" or kill the Indians never took the advice of these men.
This book is insightful as well as entertaining and is an easy read. I hope you will enjoy it.
Read
June 19, 2020Excellent narrative of the"Golden Age of Traders"
This book should be on everyone's must read list, even if you are not a history buff. Charles Larpenteaur makes the written word live. As I read, I was transported to the 1800s, when traders and trappers roamed among Native Americans. Really a (must read).
This book should be on everyone's must read list, even if you are not a history buff. Charles Larpenteaur makes the written word live. As I read, I was transported to the 1800s, when traders and trappers roamed among Native Americans. Really a (must read).
April 25, 2016
An amazing recant the whole story I can't even imagine driving now through that area that this was what they want to
Explicit descriptions of all phases of life and the trading that took place.
Family life, Indian interactions, and hardships brought by weather.
Explicit descriptions of all phases of life and the trading that took place.
Family life, Indian interactions, and hardships brought by weather.
April 16, 2011
This first person account is fascinating especially when compared to other accounts of the same incidents.
July 11, 2016
A broad tale .
Never missing reads from fur trapping trade and the hardships these folks faced . And the native American demise. Stunning the troubles by both parties.
Never missing reads from fur trapping trade and the hardships these folks faced . And the native American demise. Stunning the troubles by both parties.
January 28, 2017
the prose isn't much, but the stories told are fascinating
August 14, 2020
Found the first hand account of this time period interesting. Worth a read.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews