| John Jacob Astor,
founder of Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia,
opened an establishment in St. Louis in 1822.
Because of his desire to monopolize the trade and
buy up the other companies to consolidate them
with The American Fur Company. Because of these
practices, he was bitterly disliked by the other
trappers of the region. When Astor retired in 1834 the
western department of the American Fur Company
was sold to Pratte, Chouteau and Company which
continued to control a large part of the western
fur business until about 1860.
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