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Archive: July 2012 (2 Posts)

Silver stylized owl with radiant circles around its head, surrounded by a gold frame

A Fortune Made from Fur: John Jacob Astor

Posted by: Ellen Terrell

  John Jacob Astor was born July 17, 1763, in Walldorf, Germany (near Heidelberg). He came to the United States after the American Revolution and began trading furs, shipping them to Europe via New York. Business was good, and Astor was well on his way to making his fortune when he got a boost with …