Guide to the Archival Collections.pdf - Missouri History Museum

document appointing Chouteau as agent and guardian of half-breed Indians of the Osage tribe.
Persons and subjects dealt with in the correspondence include William H. Ashley, Barthelmy
Berthold, Judge William C. Carr, Lewis Cass, Jules de Mun, William F. Ferguson, Robert Payne,
Albert Pike, Bernard Pratte, the fur trade, Indians, Santa Fe, and Siter Price & Co. The Pierre
Chouteau Papers (870 manuscripts) include letters and documents concerning business and
personal affairs of the Chouteau family, especially Auguste and Pierre, and later, Pierre, Jr.
Includes references to many prominent St. Louisans including Charles Gratiot, Manuel Lisa,
Frederick Bates, the Bertholds, Gabriel Cerre, William Clark, Charles Dehault Delassus, Joseph
Hortiz, the Labadies, Marie Philippe Leduc, the Papins, the Prattes, Pierre Provenchere, Jean
Baptiste Sarpy, Joseph A. Sire, Antoine Soulard, as well as many national figures including John
Jacob Astor, Ramsay Crooks, James Wilkinson, Amos Stoddard, William Henry Harrison,
Kenneth McKenzie, and Henry Dearborn. (Correspondence of Spanish governors with Charles
Dehault Delassus regarding governmental affairs in St. Louis preceding the transfer (1796-1807)
has been moved to the Delassus-St. Vrain Family Collection.) Also includes Pierre Chouteau
letter book, 1804-1819; four Fort Tecumseh letter books, 1830-1833; five Fort Pierre letter
books, 1832-1835, 1845-1850; one Fort Union letter book, 1833-1835; and Chouteau genealogy.
The Chouteau-Dyer Collection (63 manuscripts) includes abstract of title, Dunklin County,
1857-1881; government land office returns, St. Louis, 1819-1825; Auguste Chouteau accounts,
1804; and letters of Aglae, widow Coursault to her daughter Clemence, Mrs. Henry Chouteau,
dealing with family matters. The P. Chouteau-Maffitt Collection (5,481 manuscripts) includes
papers that deal predominately with the business affairs of Pierre Chouteau, Jr., and his
connection with the American Fur Company, Western Department. Includes correspondence
between Chouteau and others involved with the fur trade, but the larger part of the collection is
chiefly bills, accounts, inventories, contracts of engagement with various men, packing accounts,
and bills of lading. Before 1827 the collection is largely personal, much of it concerning Auguste
Chouteau and the Julien Dubuque estate. In 1827, references are chiefly to fur trading activities
at Rock River, Fever River, Galena, etc. and dealings with Joseph Rolette, Charles de St. Vrain
and the Columbia Fur Company. Also includes data on Benito Vasquez and the Kansas River,
and the Upper Missouri Outfit with Colin McLeod and Blacksnake Hills. After 1831 the pattern
is the same with growing emphasis on the Upper Missouri Outfit and increasing amounts of bills,
accounts, engagement lists of persons employed, etc. Includes correspondence concerning
dealings with John G. Stevenson at New Orleans and numerous personal bills and receipts of
Jean Baptiste Sarpy. The correspondence of Benjamin Clapp with Pierre Chouteau, Jr., in New
York in part deals with the failure of Ramsay Crooks and the American Fur Company. The
importance and extent of the London trade is also realized in the correspondence of C.M.
Lampson, London agent, and the invoices, accounts of sales, packing accounts, etc. The
Chouteau-Papin Collection (1,997 manuscripts) includes papers concerning the fur trade of the
Missouri River and the activities of the American Fur Company and their relation with Pratte,
Chouteau & Co. and later Pierre Chouteau, Jr., & Company at St. Louis. Among the prominent
persons mentioned here are Ramsay Crooks, Pierre Chouteau, Jr., John Jacob Astor, Jean Pierre
Cabanne, Joseph Robidoux, Jean Baptiste Sarpy, A.P. Chouteau, Barthelmy Berthold, as well as
many trappers and traders including Colin Campbell, Vance Murray Campbell, Honore Picotte,
H.H. Sibley, and the Papins. The Chouteau-Walsh Collection, 1795-1872 (474 manuscripts),
includes personal and business correspondence of Pierre Chouteau, Jr., with his daughter Julia
Maffitt, his wife, the former Emilie Gratiot, his son-in-law Dr. William Maffitt, and John F.A.
Sanford. The personal letters, bills, and receipts provide interesting information on the life of the
times, especially regarding the purchase of clothing and household items. The business letters
illustrate the interests of Chouteau in the fur trade and railroad ventures, particularly the Illinois