Furs, Fur and Fourdrinier presents a 500-year history of the discovery and settlement of New France, New England and Wisconsin through the perspective of ten families who became known as Wisconsin paper barons. It explains how personal, family and political relationships, and many small events played dramatic roles in the shaping of history and how this led to the settlement of Wisconsin and the success of its papermaking industry. A network of people and events is identified that reveals new insights into the histories of Canada and the United States.
This intriguing book explores such questions as: How did the appointment of a Catholic Bishop in 1455 affect the exploration of the New World? How did the different ways the French and British interacted with the indigenous Americans affect trade and settlement patterns? How did the decision in 1621 of an Amsterdam diamond merchant to invest in New Netherlands impact the development of a small town in Wisconsin? How did the outcome of a duel between two Pilgrims at Plymouth affect the future of Wisconsin politics? Was Jean Nicolet really the first white man to reach Wisconsin? What do the father of Wisconsin and the father of America have in common? And, why did Wisconsin residents fight on the side of the British during the War of 1812?
This book also tells the story of a unique group of families that linked themselves to each other beginning in 1850 to create the most successful papermaking community in America at Neenah-Menasha, Wisconsin. Prominent Wisconsin pioneer families highlighted include: Kimberly, Clark, Babcock, Hewitt, Bergstrom, Smith, Sensenbrenner, Lawson, Gilbert and Davis. The story of these families provides an inside view into how and why the Wisconsin paper industry developed as it did.