Chouteau papers
Jul 9, 2010 21:50:02 GMT -7
Post by Rod on Jul 9, 2010 21:50:02 GMT -7
I've posted these lists on other forums, but they should be appropriate here.
For those that haven't been following this, I've been contracted by Ft. Union NHS to make a comprehensive listing of the contents of the Chouteau papers, which are on 40 reels of microfilm. The Friends of Ft. Union/Ft. Buford (I'm on the board of directors) purchased the microfilm from the St. Louis Historical Society, along with 30 reels of AFC papers, and 18 reels of Robert Campbell papers. Strange as it sounds, none of this has been properly cataloged. There is a guide that came with it, but it only tells the years each reel covers. Fine if you know the year of a specific item, but not so good if you're looking for a person or a specific paper. So far, I'm up to 1809---things are progressing slowly during the summer, as my time is limited (I farm and ranch for a living, right now I'm more concerned about getting my hay up than cataloging papers).
Most of the papers are things like promissory notes, slave sales, marriage contracts, etc., but items relating to the fur trade are also in there. Here are some highlights. Note: these are not the complete lists, rather just a sampling of items I found interesting.
1794, Invoice, Auguste and Pierre Chouteau
10,000 gunflints
Blankets, 1 to 3 point
200 powderhorns
5 doz. Turlington's
100# Vermillion
6 doz. men's shoes [soulliers du homme]
3 doz. women's shoes [souliers du femme]
1 pr. fine boots
10 gross butcher knives
1795, Account, Regis Loisel with Andrew Todd & Co. (Michilimackinac)
2 cases fusils
1 canoe
Butcher knives
Blankets
Nankeen
powderhorns
Kettles
Chocolate
Hyson tea
10 gross hatchets
1797, Account, Auguste Chouteau, Isidore Lacroix & Co.
Blankets
Cartouche knives
Paper backed mirrors
Vermillion
1797, Account, Pierre Chouteau, Clamorgan, Loisel & Co.
131 Fusils, London
1800, Account, Auguste Chouteau, Cavelier & Petit (New Orleans)
1 pair 4 pt. blankets [very early for a 4 point blanket]
1 pair 3 pt. blankets
Pantaloons
340 packs pelts
1800, Inventory, Auguste Chouteau, Michaels, Lacroix & Bleakley (Michilimackinac)
45 Fusils du Nord [Northwest guns]
Butcher knives
Cartouche knives
1800, Account, John Lyle, Grant & LaFramboise (Michilimackinac)
10 NW guns
23 pairs 3 pt. blankets
2 doz. shawls
Port wine
Brandy
1801, Account, Auguste Chouteau, Bryan & Morrison (Michilimackinac)
12 riffle guns @ $25.00 ea. (English rifles? Note the use of American currency, maybe these were American rifles?)
1802, Trade order, Auguste Chouteau, Richard Pattinson & Co. (Michilimackinac)
Bracelettes
Earrings
Mirrors in paper
Hatchets
ribbon
Corduroy
50 Fusils, London, Long as possible [no short guns for Auguste!]
Butcher knives
Kettles with covers [HBC-style lidded copper pots?]
Blue and White beads
1802, Invoice, Auguste Chouteau, Richard Pattinson & Co. (Michilimackinac)
13 doz. Scalping knives
Blankets
Bridles
Shawls
Ivory combs
Coat buttons
Ribbon, Yellow, Blue, Green, Crimson, Purple
Black silk handkerchiefs
Gilt oval looking glasses
Gun worms
22 1/2 doz. Buck handled scalping knives
Half axes
Tomyhawks
Pewter basons
White hairpipe
Green bone handled knives
Fire steels
Vermillion
Beads
2 nests copper camp kettles
Large & small broaches
Head bands
Wrist bands
Gorgets
Moons
Earbobs
Kegs of powder
Stroud
Molton
Coating
Brass inlayed knives
Gunflints
Indian calico
Spotted swanskin
Ingrain worsted
Cloth in scarlet, crimson, dk. blue, green, gray, purple
Nest of brass kettles with plate brass ears
Steel traps
Large duck shott
Hawk bells
Scissors
White bone carving knives
2-bladed knives
Pen knives
Table knives
Octagon scalpers
1803-09, Account, Pierre and Auguste Chouteau
Gunflints
Buffalo robes
Whiskey
Tobacco
Rum
Tafia
1804, Account, Auguste Chouteau, Forrest Handcock
Equipements de Chasse [unfortunately not itemized---Forrest Handcock was one of the fellows to go up the Missouri with Colter in 1806]
1805, Account, J. Hortiz, LaTour
Tafia [French for rum]
Wisqui [neat phonetic spelling of whiskey]
1805, Invoice, Pascal Cerré, Hugh Pattinson & Co. (Michilimackinac)
10 best English riffles £55/27/10
Ink powder
Red & green cock feathers
Snuff boxes
Gilt frame oval looking glasses
6 Best riffle gun locks
Steel tobacco boxes
Worsted hose
Razors & Strops
1807, Promissory note for Upper Missouri expedition, Auguste Chouteau, Christophe Roque
To be paid back in beaver at 1 Piastre, 20 Sols per French pound
1807, Inventory of goods seized for illegal trade with the Mahas, Jeremiah Connor (Sheriff), François Hortiz, Robert McClelan
920 lbs. deer skins
167 3/4 lbs. beaver
280 racoon skins
6 otter skins
One bale Merchandise contg.
1 ps. and 17 yd. Strouding
9 2 pt. blankets
3 2 1/2 ditto ditto
2 1 1/2 ditto ditto
One bale Merchadise cong.
1 ps Strouding
1 3 pt. blanket
1 2 1/2 ditto ditto
14 2 ditto ditto
15 1 1/2 ditto ditto
15 Callico shirts
22 1/6 doz. scalping knives
11 lb. Blue and White beads
5 lb. Vermillion
4 lb. Verdigreise
14 Pewter basons wt. 17 lb.
3 Tomahawks
1 yd. scarlet
5 ps. Indian Callico ea. 18 yd.
14 yd. ditto ditto
5 ps. Scotch gartering
10 Blue cotton hnkfs.
29 black silk ditto
1 1/2 doz. small looking glasses
8 skeins yarn diff. cols.
1 gros hawk bells
10 doz. brass rings
4 5/12 doz. common buttons
11 box combs
4 1/2 doz. mockison awls
9 horse bells
300 gun flints
10 pr. silver wrist bands
4 1/2 ditto ditto ear wheels
3 1/2 ditto ditto arm bands
8 silver half moons
500 do. small broaches
325 pr. ear bobs, silver
42 hairpipes
106 strings wampum ea. 50--5300
4 ps. ribband
6 lb. powder
4 brass kettles 52 lb. [this is really heavy, these are BIG kettles]
10 small tin kettles
Well, this is what I've gotten so far. As I said, the items listed are just a sampling--some of these orders and inventories go on for pages, often with a couple of pages devoted just to the cloth or blankets. But, we can see that there were plenty of guns coming into Spanish Louisiana, in defiance of Spanish law. Also, imported alcohol, English rifles, possible American rifles, a single pair of 4-point blankets, patent medicine, ready-made clothing, and shoes.
Get the idea I love pouring over these trade lists? ;D
Rod
For those that haven't been following this, I've been contracted by Ft. Union NHS to make a comprehensive listing of the contents of the Chouteau papers, which are on 40 reels of microfilm. The Friends of Ft. Union/Ft. Buford (I'm on the board of directors) purchased the microfilm from the St. Louis Historical Society, along with 30 reels of AFC papers, and 18 reels of Robert Campbell papers. Strange as it sounds, none of this has been properly cataloged. There is a guide that came with it, but it only tells the years each reel covers. Fine if you know the year of a specific item, but not so good if you're looking for a person or a specific paper. So far, I'm up to 1809---things are progressing slowly during the summer, as my time is limited (I farm and ranch for a living, right now I'm more concerned about getting my hay up than cataloging papers).
Most of the papers are things like promissory notes, slave sales, marriage contracts, etc., but items relating to the fur trade are also in there. Here are some highlights. Note: these are not the complete lists, rather just a sampling of items I found interesting.
1794, Invoice, Auguste and Pierre Chouteau
10,000 gunflints
Blankets, 1 to 3 point
200 powderhorns
5 doz. Turlington's
100# Vermillion
6 doz. men's shoes [soulliers du homme]
3 doz. women's shoes [souliers du femme]
1 pr. fine boots
10 gross butcher knives
1795, Account, Regis Loisel with Andrew Todd & Co. (Michilimackinac)
2 cases fusils
1 canoe
Butcher knives
Blankets
Nankeen
powderhorns
Kettles
Chocolate
Hyson tea
10 gross hatchets
1797, Account, Auguste Chouteau, Isidore Lacroix & Co.
Blankets
Cartouche knives
Paper backed mirrors
Vermillion
1797, Account, Pierre Chouteau, Clamorgan, Loisel & Co.
131 Fusils, London
1800, Account, Auguste Chouteau, Cavelier & Petit (New Orleans)
1 pair 4 pt. blankets [very early for a 4 point blanket]
1 pair 3 pt. blankets
Pantaloons
340 packs pelts
1800, Inventory, Auguste Chouteau, Michaels, Lacroix & Bleakley (Michilimackinac)
45 Fusils du Nord [Northwest guns]
Butcher knives
Cartouche knives
1800, Account, John Lyle, Grant & LaFramboise (Michilimackinac)
10 NW guns
23 pairs 3 pt. blankets
2 doz. shawls
Port wine
Brandy
1801, Account, Auguste Chouteau, Bryan & Morrison (Michilimackinac)
12 riffle guns @ $25.00 ea. (English rifles? Note the use of American currency, maybe these were American rifles?)
1802, Trade order, Auguste Chouteau, Richard Pattinson & Co. (Michilimackinac)
Bracelettes
Earrings
Mirrors in paper
Hatchets
ribbon
Corduroy
50 Fusils, London, Long as possible [no short guns for Auguste!]
Butcher knives
Kettles with covers [HBC-style lidded copper pots?]
Blue and White beads
1802, Invoice, Auguste Chouteau, Richard Pattinson & Co. (Michilimackinac)
13 doz. Scalping knives
Blankets
Bridles
Shawls
Ivory combs
Coat buttons
Ribbon, Yellow, Blue, Green, Crimson, Purple
Black silk handkerchiefs
Gilt oval looking glasses
Gun worms
22 1/2 doz. Buck handled scalping knives
Half axes
Tomyhawks
Pewter basons
White hairpipe
Green bone handled knives
Fire steels
Vermillion
Beads
2 nests copper camp kettles
Large & small broaches
Head bands
Wrist bands
Gorgets
Moons
Earbobs
Kegs of powder
Stroud
Molton
Coating
Brass inlayed knives
Gunflints
Indian calico
Spotted swanskin
Ingrain worsted
Cloth in scarlet, crimson, dk. blue, green, gray, purple
Nest of brass kettles with plate brass ears
Steel traps
Large duck shott
Hawk bells
Scissors
White bone carving knives
2-bladed knives
Pen knives
Table knives
Octagon scalpers
1803-09, Account, Pierre and Auguste Chouteau
Gunflints
Buffalo robes
Whiskey
Tobacco
Rum
Tafia
1804, Account, Auguste Chouteau, Forrest Handcock
Equipements de Chasse [unfortunately not itemized---Forrest Handcock was one of the fellows to go up the Missouri with Colter in 1806]
1805, Account, J. Hortiz, LaTour
Tafia [French for rum]
Wisqui [neat phonetic spelling of whiskey]
1805, Invoice, Pascal Cerré, Hugh Pattinson & Co. (Michilimackinac)
10 best English riffles £55/27/10
Ink powder
Red & green cock feathers
Snuff boxes
Gilt frame oval looking glasses
6 Best riffle gun locks
Steel tobacco boxes
Worsted hose
Razors & Strops
1807, Promissory note for Upper Missouri expedition, Auguste Chouteau, Christophe Roque
To be paid back in beaver at 1 Piastre, 20 Sols per French pound
1807, Inventory of goods seized for illegal trade with the Mahas, Jeremiah Connor (Sheriff), François Hortiz, Robert McClelan
920 lbs. deer skins
167 3/4 lbs. beaver
280 racoon skins
6 otter skins
One bale Merchandise contg.
1 ps. and 17 yd. Strouding
9 2 pt. blankets
3 2 1/2 ditto ditto
2 1 1/2 ditto ditto
One bale Merchadise cong.
1 ps Strouding
1 3 pt. blanket
1 2 1/2 ditto ditto
14 2 ditto ditto
15 1 1/2 ditto ditto
15 Callico shirts
22 1/6 doz. scalping knives
11 lb. Blue and White beads
5 lb. Vermillion
4 lb. Verdigreise
14 Pewter basons wt. 17 lb.
3 Tomahawks
1 yd. scarlet
5 ps. Indian Callico ea. 18 yd.
14 yd. ditto ditto
5 ps. Scotch gartering
10 Blue cotton hnkfs.
29 black silk ditto
1 1/2 doz. small looking glasses
8 skeins yarn diff. cols.
1 gros hawk bells
10 doz. brass rings
4 5/12 doz. common buttons
11 box combs
4 1/2 doz. mockison awls
9 horse bells
300 gun flints
10 pr. silver wrist bands
4 1/2 ditto ditto ear wheels
3 1/2 ditto ditto arm bands
8 silver half moons
500 do. small broaches
325 pr. ear bobs, silver
42 hairpipes
106 strings wampum ea. 50--5300
4 ps. ribband
6 lb. powder
4 brass kettles 52 lb. [this is really heavy, these are BIG kettles]
10 small tin kettles
Well, this is what I've gotten so far. As I said, the items listed are just a sampling--some of these orders and inventories go on for pages, often with a couple of pages devoted just to the cloth or blankets. But, we can see that there were plenty of guns coming into Spanish Louisiana, in defiance of Spanish law. Also, imported alcohol, English rifles, possible American rifles, a single pair of 4-point blankets, patent medicine, ready-made clothing, and shoes.
Get the idea I love pouring over these trade lists? ;D
Rod