Russell Farnham
Encyclopedia
Russel Farnham was an American frontiersman, explorer, and fur trader. An agent of John Jacob Astor
's American Fur Company
, he oversaw fur trading in the Great Lakes
region throughout the 1810s and 1820s. A member of the Astor Expedition
headed by Wilson P. Hunt during 1810–1812, he is also the first American to semi-circumnavigate the world traveling by foot from Fort Astoria
(now Astoria, Oregon
) to St. Petersburg, Russia, to New York
.
in 1784 and left home to join one of two expeditions organized by John Jacob Astor
to establish the Pacific Fur Company
at the mouth of the Columbia River
. Farnham, hired as a clerk, was part of the Tonquin
party under Captain Jonathan Thorn
who were to travel by sea around Cape Horn
arriving on the Pacific
coast. However, the party soon met with disaster with the death of Thorn and the destruction of their ship soon after their arrival.
and lived among the Flatheads
during the winter of 1812-13. According to Washington Irving
, Farnham was ordered by Clark to execute a local Indian who had been caught stealing a silver cup from one of the hunting and trapping camps. He hung the Indian from a sapling on June 1, 1813; this incident caused a great deal of hostility between Farnham's party and the local tribes.
In the spring of 1814, he was entrusted with ₤40,000 in sterling bills as well as papers relating the sale of the Astoria trading post to the British North-West Company and ordered by Wilson P. Hunt, commander of the second expedition, to deliver them to John Jacob Astor via St. Petersburg. Farnham traveled on foot crossing the ice sheet
across the Bering Straits and into Kamchatka. He suffered from exposure against the severe and inhospitable Siberian climate and, although leaving Astoria with a small backpack of provisions, suffered from malnutrition
having been forced to cut and eat the tops of his own boots to survive. However, he was able to make his way to St. Petersburg and, from Paris eventually arrived in New York
. He was the first American to make the journey, John Ledyard
having twice failed to do so. Another account claims Farnham left with Hunt on the Pedler and was dropped off on the coast of Kamchatka on April 3, 1814 and, after arriving in St. Petersburg, instead left from Hamburg, Germany, whereupon he arrived to meet Astor in New York.
Employed by Astor to oversee the business interests of American Fur Company
in the Great Lakes
region, he was arrested by the British as a spy during the War of 1812
. Transported for trial to Prairie du Chien, several of his friends appealed to British authorities of his innocence and the charges were eventually dropped. He made one of the first trips into the Midwest United States on behalf of the American Fur Company in 1817, and later formed a partnership with George Davenport
trading with the Sauk and Fox in the Missouri Valley
. During this time he took a wife from the Menominee tribe named Agathe Wood and had a daughter.
, he and Davenport founded a settlement along the Mississippi River
known as Stephenson. Along with the town of Farnhamsburg, the two settlements would eventually become the site of Rock Island, Illinois
. He also founded Muscatine, Iowa
, after leaving the Rock Island area some years later.
He and Ramsey Crooks absorbed the Columbia Fur Company in 1827 and, with former Columbia traders such as Kenneth MacKenzie, the two founded the American Fur Company's Upper Missouri Outfit. He remained in charge of the rival trading post near Fort Edwards
and, in 1829, he founded another trading post several miles upriver at present-day Keokuk, Iowa
which was run by Mark Aldrich
.
He died of cholera
in St. Louis on October 23, 1832. He reportedly survived only two hours after having been attacked with that then new and fatal disease. His wife and child died of consumption
a few years later. His close friend and former trading partner Ramsey Crooks wrote in a letter to Pierre Chouteau, Jr.
regarding news of his death.
John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor , born Johann Jakob Astor, was a German-American business magnate and investor who was the first prominent member of the Astor family and the first multi-millionaire in the United States...
's American Fur Company
American Fur Company
The American Fur Company was founded by John Jacob Astor in 1808. The company grew to monopolize the fur trade in the United States by 1830, and became one of the largest businesses in the country. The company was one the first great trusts in American business...
, he oversaw fur trading in the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
region throughout the 1810s and 1820s. A member of the Astor Expedition
Astor Expedition
The Astor Expedition of 1810-1812 was the next overland expedition from St. Louis, Missouri to the mouth of the Columbia River after the Corps of Discovery, led by Lewis and Clark.-History:...
headed by Wilson P. Hunt during 1810–1812, he is also the first American to semi-circumnavigate the world traveling by foot from Fort Astoria
Fort Astoria
Fort Astoria was the Pacific Fur Company's primary fur trading post in the Northwest, and was the first American-owned settlement on the Pacific coast. After a short two-year term of US ownership, the British owned and operated it for 33 years. It was the first British port on the Pacific coast...
(now Astoria, Oregon
Astoria, Oregon
Astoria is the county seat of Clatsop County, Oregon, United States. Situated near the mouth of the Columbia River, the city was named after the American investor John Jacob Astor. His American Fur Company founded Fort Astoria at the site in 1811...
) to St. Petersburg, Russia, to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
Early life
Russel Farnham was born in MassachusettsMassachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in 1784 and left home to join one of two expeditions organized by John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor
John Jacob Astor , born Johann Jakob Astor, was a German-American business magnate and investor who was the first prominent member of the Astor family and the first multi-millionaire in the United States...
to establish the Pacific Fur Company
Pacific Fur Company
The Pacific Fur Company was founded June 23, 1810, in New York City. Half of the stock of the company was held by the American Fur Company, owned exclusively by John Jacob Astor, and Astor provided all of the capital for the enterprise. The other half of the stock was ascribed to working partners...
at the mouth of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
. Farnham, hired as a clerk, was part of the Tonquin
Tonquin
The Tonquin was an American merchant ship involved with the Maritime Fur Trade of the early 19th Century. The ship was used by John Jacob Astor's Pacific Fur Company to establish fur trading outposts on the Northwest Coast of North America, including Fort Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River...
party under Captain Jonathan Thorn
Jonathan Thorn
Jonathan Thorn was an officer of the United States Navy in the early 19th century. He was born on 8 January 1779 at Schenectady, N.Y.. He was appointed a midshipman on 28 April 1800...
who were to travel by sea around Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
arriving on the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
coast. However, the party soon met with disaster with the death of Thorn and the destruction of their ship soon after their arrival.
Fur trader
In November 1811, he was one of several men who pursued and captured a group of deserters. He also took part in fighting Indians at The Dalles, building a trading post near SpokaneSpokane
Spokane is a city in the U.S. state of Washington.Spokane may also refer to:*Spokane *Spokane River*Spokane, Missouri*Spokane Valley, Washington*Spokane County, Washington*Spokane-Coeur d'Alene-Paloos War*Spokane * USS Spokane...
and lived among the Flatheads
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Nation
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation are the Bitterroot Salish, Kootenai and Pend d'Oreilles Tribes. The Flatheads lived between the Cascade Mountains and Rocky Mountains. The Salish initially lived entirely east of the Continental Divide but established their...
during the winter of 1812-13. According to Washington Irving
Washington Irving
Washington Irving was an American author, essayist, biographer and historian of the early 19th century. He was best known for his short stories "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle", both of which appear in his book The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. His historical works...
, Farnham was ordered by Clark to execute a local Indian who had been caught stealing a silver cup from one of the hunting and trapping camps. He hung the Indian from a sapling on June 1, 1813; this incident caused a great deal of hostility between Farnham's party and the local tribes.
In the spring of 1814, he was entrusted with ₤40,000 in sterling bills as well as papers relating the sale of the Astoria trading post to the British North-West Company and ordered by Wilson P. Hunt, commander of the second expedition, to deliver them to John Jacob Astor via St. Petersburg. Farnham traveled on foot crossing the ice sheet
Ice sheet
An ice sheet is a mass of glacier ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50,000 km² , thus also known as continental glacier...
across the Bering Straits and into Kamchatka. He suffered from exposure against the severe and inhospitable Siberian climate and, although leaving Astoria with a small backpack of provisions, suffered from malnutrition
Malnutrition
Malnutrition is the condition that results from taking an unbalanced diet in which certain nutrients are lacking, in excess , or in the wrong proportions....
having been forced to cut and eat the tops of his own boots to survive. However, he was able to make his way to St. Petersburg and, from Paris eventually arrived in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He was the first American to make the journey, John Ledyard
John Ledyard
John Ledyard was an American explorer and adventurer.-Early life:Ledyard was born in Groton, Connecticut, the oldest son of John and Abigail Ledyard and the nephew of Continental Army Colonel William Ledyard...
having twice failed to do so. Another account claims Farnham left with Hunt on the Pedler and was dropped off on the coast of Kamchatka on April 3, 1814 and, after arriving in St. Petersburg, instead left from Hamburg, Germany, whereupon he arrived to meet Astor in New York.
Employed by Astor to oversee the business interests of American Fur Company
American Fur Company
The American Fur Company was founded by John Jacob Astor in 1808. The company grew to monopolize the fur trade in the United States by 1830, and became one of the largest businesses in the country. The company was one the first great trusts in American business...
in the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
region, he was arrested by the British as a spy during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. Transported for trial to Prairie du Chien, several of his friends appealed to British authorities of his innocence and the charges were eventually dropped. He made one of the first trips into the Midwest United States on behalf of the American Fur Company in 1817, and later formed a partnership with George Davenport
George Davenport
Colonel George Davenport was a 19th-century American frontiersman, trader and US Army officer. A prominent and well-known settler in the Iowa Territory, he was one of the earliest settlers in Rock Island and spent much of his life involved in the early settlement of the Mississippi Valley and the...
trading with the Sauk and Fox in the Missouri Valley
Missouri Valley
Missouri Valley may refer to some places in the United States:* Missouri Valley, Iowa, a small city* The Missouri River Valley* The Missouri Valley Conference, a college athletic conference...
. During this time he took a wife from the Menominee tribe named Agathe Wood and had a daughter.
Later years
Moving to St. Louis in 1826, he married a white woman Susan Bosseron, the daughter of Charles Bosseron. That same year, while trading at Fort ArmstrongFort Armstrong
Fort Armstrong , was one of a chain of western frontier defenses which the United States erected after the War of 1812. It was located at the foot of Rock Island, Illinois, in the Mississippi River between present-day Illinois and Iowa. It was five miles from the principal Sac and Fox village on...
, he and Davenport founded a settlement along the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
known as Stephenson. Along with the town of Farnhamsburg, the two settlements would eventually become the site of Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island, Illinois
Rock Island is the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,884 at the 2010 census. Located on the Mississippi River, it is one of the Quad Cities, along with neighboring Moline, East Moline, and the Iowa cities of Davenport and Bettendorf. The Quad Cities...
. He also founded Muscatine, Iowa
Muscatine, Iowa
Muscatine is a city in Muscatine County, Iowa, United States. The population was 22,886 in the 2010 census, an increase from 22,697 in the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Muscatine County...
, after leaving the Rock Island area some years later.
He and Ramsey Crooks absorbed the Columbia Fur Company in 1827 and, with former Columbia traders such as Kenneth MacKenzie, the two founded the American Fur Company's Upper Missouri Outfit. He remained in charge of the rival trading post near Fort Edwards
Fort Edwards
Fort Edwards can refer to:* A French and Indian War fort near Capon Bridge, West Virginia* A 19th-century US Army and trading post near Warsaw, Illinois, discussed in Fort Johnson* A Boer War fort in South Africa discussed in Breaker Morant...
and, in 1829, he founded another trading post several miles upriver at present-day Keokuk, Iowa
Keokuk, Iowa
Keokuk is a city in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Iowa and one of the county seats of Lee County. The other county seat is Fort Madison. The population was 11,427 at the 2000 census. The city is named after the Sauk Chief Keokuk, who is thought to be buried in Rand Park...
which was run by Mark Aldrich
Mark Aldrich
Mark Aldrich was a founder of Warsaw, Illinois, an Illinois state senator for the Whig Party, the first American mayor of Tucson, Arizona, and one of five defendants tried and acquitted of the murder of Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Founding of Warsaw and political...
.
He died of cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
in St. Louis on October 23, 1832. He reportedly survived only two hours after having been attacked with that then new and fatal disease. His wife and child died of consumption
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
a few years later. His close friend and former trading partner Ramsey Crooks wrote in a letter to Pierre Chouteau, Jr.
Pierre Chouteau, Jr.
Pierre Chouteau, Jr. , also referred to as Pierre Cadet Chouteau, was an American merchant and a member of the wealthy Chouteau fur-trading family of St. Louis, Missouri.-Early life and education:...
regarding news of his death.