Russel Farnham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Russel Farnham
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| Born | 1784 |
| Died | October 23, 1832 (aged 48) |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Frontiersman and fur trader |
| Known for | Member of the Pacific Fur Company and later agent for the Pacific and American Fur Company; first American to semi-circumnavigate the world. |
| Spouse(s) |
Susan Bosseron
(m. 1826–1832)Agathe Wood
(m. 1820–1826) |
| Children | 2 children |
Russel Farnham (born 1784 – died October 23, 1832) was an American frontiersman, explorer, and fur trader. He worked for John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company, managing fur trading in the Great Lakes area during the 1810s and 1820s. He was also a member of the Pacific Fur Company expedition led by Wilson Price Hunt from 1810 to 1812. Farnham is famous for being the first American to travel semi-around the world. He journeyed by foot from Fort Astoria (now Astoria, Oregon) to St. Petersburg, Russia, and then on to New York City.
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A Young Adventurer's Start
Russel Farnham was born in Massachusetts in 1784. When he was young, he left home to join one of two big trips organized by John Jacob Astor. Astor wanted to start the Pacific Fur Company near the mouth of the Columbia River. Farnham was hired as a clerk, which meant he helped manage records and goods.
He was part of the group that traveled by sea on the ship Tonquin, led by Captain Jonathan Thorn. Their plan was to sail around Cape Horn to reach the Pacific coast. However, soon after they arrived, Captain Thorn died, and their ship was destroyed. This was a very difficult start to their adventure.
Life as a Fur Trader
In November 1811, Russel Farnham was part of a group that chased and caught some people who had run away from their expedition. He also helped fight against Native American tribes at The Dalles. He worked on building a trading post near Spokane and lived among the Flatheads during the winter of 1812-13.
An author named Washington Irving wrote that Farnham was told to deal with a local Native American who had stolen a silver cup. This event caused a lot of tension between Farnham's group and the local tribes.
An Incredible Journey Around the World
In the spring of 1814, Farnham was given a very important job. He had to deliver a large sum of money (about £40,000) and documents about the sale of the Astoria trading post to a British company called the North West Company. His commander, Wilson Price Hunt, ordered him to take these items to John Jacob Astor by traveling through St. Petersburg, Russia.
Farnham began an amazing journey on foot. He crossed the ice sheet over the Bering Straits and entered the Kamchatka region. He faced extreme cold and harsh conditions in Siberia. He left Astoria with only a small backpack of supplies. He suffered from malnutrition and even had to cut and eat parts of his own boots to survive!
Despite these incredible challenges, he managed to reach St. Petersburg. From there, he traveled through Paris and eventually arrived in New York City. This made him the first American to complete such a journey. Another explorer, John Ledyard, had tried twice but failed. Some stories say Farnham left with Hunt on a ship called the Pedler. They say he was dropped off on the coast of Kamchatka on April 3, 1814. After reaching St. Petersburg, he then left from Hamburg, Germany, before meeting Astor in New York.
Working for the American Fur Company
After his incredible journey, Astor hired Farnham to manage the business interests of the American Fur Company in the Great Lakes region. During the War of 1812, he was arrested by the British, who thought he was a spy. He was taken to Prairie du Chien for trial. However, several of his friends spoke up for him, and the charges were eventually dropped.
In 1817, he made one of the first trips for the American Fur Company into the Midwest United States. Later, he partnered with George Davenport to trade with the Sauk and Fox tribes in the Missouri Valley. During this time, he married a woman from the Menominee tribe named Agathe Wood, and they had a daughter.
Later Years and Legacy
In 1826, Russel Farnham moved to St. Louis. There, he married a white woman named Susan Bosseron. That same year, while trading at Fort Armstrong, he and Davenport started a settlement along the Mississippi River called Stephenson. Along with another town called Farnhamsburg, these two settlements eventually grew into what is now Rock Island, Illinois. Some years later, he also founded Muscatine, Iowa.
In 1827, he and Ramsey Crooks took over the Columbia Fur Company. With former Columbia traders like Kenneth MacKenzie, they created the American Fur Company's Upper Missouri Outfit. Farnham remained in charge of a trading post near Fort Edwards. In 1829, he started another trading post a few miles upriver at what is now Keokuk, Iowa. This post was managed by Mark Aldrich.
Russel Farnham died from cholera in St. Louis on October 23, 1832. Reports say he died only two hours after getting sick with the disease, which was new and very deadly at the time. His wife and child sadly died a few years later from consumption. His close friend and business partner, Ramsey Crooks, wrote a letter about Farnham's death to Pierre Chouteau, Jr.:
Poor Farnham; he has paid the debt of nature after a life of uncommon activity and endless exposure. Peace to his manes! He was one of the best meaning, but the most sanguine men I almost ever met with. During all the ravages of the pestilence here, and the unexpected rapidity with which some of my friends were hurried to their long account. I never felt anything like the sensation I experienced upon hearing of my honest friend's death, for I did not know he was at St. Louis, and thought him safe in some part of the wilderness.
