A Brief History of the U.S. Fur Industry
At Westerman’s Fur Products, our coyote fur mittens, raccoon trapper hats, and beaver-lined gloves are crafted with reverence for a legacy that spans centuries. The fur industry in the United States has shaped economies, defined fashion, and connected us to the land, from Native American traditions to colonial trade, 19th-century expansion, and today’s sustainable practices. Furbearers like coyote, raccoon, beaver, and fox have been central, their pelts fueling a story of survival, style, and stewardship.
Pre-Colonial Roots: Native American Fur Traditions
The fur industry’s story begins with Native Americans, who mastered furbearer use long before European contact. In the woodlands of the Northeast and Southeast, tribes like the Iroquois, Algonquin, and Cherokee relied on animals like beavers—estimated at 60-400 million pre-colonially—for robes, blankets, and hats. Raccoons, still 15-20 million strong today, provided pelts for caps and cloaks, while fox and coyote furs adorned ceremonial garments among Plains tribes.
Fur was both practical and cultural. Trade networks along the Mississippi swapped pelts for tools or shells as early as 1000 CE. French Jesuit records from the 1600s describe Huron traders moving 10,000 beaver pelts yearly to allies. These traditions—blending utility and artistry—set the stage for America’s fur trade and early fashion.
Colonial Era: The Fur Trade’s Economic Engine (1600s-1700s)
European settlers transformed fur into a global commodity. By the 1610s, French and Dutch traders partnered with Native trappers, exchanging beads and iron for beaver pelts, coveted for Europe’s fashionable felt hats. A single beaver hat required 2-3 pelts, driving exports to 140,000 pelts annually by 1700, per New France records. The Hudson’s Bay Company, founded in 1670, funneled millions of pelts from the northern U.S. and Canada to London.
Raccoon and fox furs gained traction too—Virginia and New York shipped 30,000 raccoon pelts yearly by the 1750s, per trade logs. Fur posts like Albany and Detroit buzzed with activity, and the industry fueled colonial growth. Fashion wasn’t just elite; settlers wore raccoon caps and fox-lined cloaks, blending Native designs with European cuts, laying the groundwork for a distinctly American fur style.
The 19th Century: Westward Expansion and Fashion’s Rise
As the U.S. expanded west, fur drove exploration and commerce. The Lewis and Clark expedition (1804-1806) mapped beaver-rich rivers, igniting a fur rush. John Jacob Astor’s American Fur Company dominated by the 1820s, employing 3,000 trappers and shipping 50,000 beaver pelts yearly from the Rockies. St. Louis, the “fur capital,” handled $3 million in pelts annually by 1830 (about $90 million today).
Overtrapping slashed beaver numbers to under 10 million by 1840, shifting focus to raccoon (500,000 pelts yearly from the Southeast) and coyote furs. Fashion evolved too—urban elites in New York and Philadelphia wore beaver top hats and fox fur collars, while frontiersmen sported raccoon caps, inspired by Native designs. Women’s fashion embraced fur muffs and shawls, with Harper’s Bazaar (founded 1867) showcasing fur as a status symbol. The industry wasn’t just trade—it was a style revolution, blending rugged roots with growing sophistication.
The Early 20th Century: Fur Fashion’s Golden Age
The 1900s turned fur into high fashion. By 1929, U.S. fur sales hit $400 million (over $6 billion today), driven by urban demand for luxury. Mink, sourced from early fur farms, and wild fox led the charge—fox stoles required 4-6 pelts, with 200,000 harvested yearly. Raccoon fur coats, a 1920s flapper favorite, used 8-10 pelts each, pushing annual harvests to 1 million. Designers like Hattie Carnegie introduced fur-trimmed dresses, while department stores like Macy’s dedicated fur salons.
The Great Depression stalled growth, but World War II brought a twist—fur-lined military jackets, often coyote or raccoon, kept pilots warm, with 50,000 pelts used annually for gear, per military records. Post-war prosperity revived fashion; by the 1950s, Hollywood starlets like Marilyn Monroe draped in fox fur coats made fur synonymous with glamour. The Fur Information Council of America, formed in 1952, promoted fur as aspirational, with sales climbing to $500 million by 1960.
Late 20th Century: Challenges and Reinvention
The 1980s brought headwinds. Animal rights campaigns, led by groups like PETA, cut U.S. fur exports by 30% from 1980 to 1990 (Fur Commission USA). Synthetics, cheaper but petroleum-based, competed fiercely. Yet, designers adapted—Vogue featured fur sparingly but creatively, with Karl Lagerfeld’s 1990s Fendi collections mixing raccoon and fox trim into ready-to-wear. Fur fashion shifted from opulence to versatility; coyote fur vests and beaver-lined gloves became street-style staples. By 2000, the U.S. fur market stabilized at $1.8 billion annually, per industry reports, balancing tradition with modern tastes.
The Modern Era: Sustainability and Fashion Forward
Today, the U.S. fur industry prioritizes sustainability, rooted in regulated trapping. Coyotes (20 million), raccoons (15-20 million), beavers (6-12 million), and foxes (millions regionally) thrive, with trappers harvesting just 5-10% yearly—147,000 coyotes and 200,000 raccoons in 2022, per Fur Commission USA. This supports $50 million in fur sales while preventing overpopulation. License fees generate $15 million for conservation annually (National Trappers Association), and fur’s biodegradability trumps synthetics’ 1.2 billion tons of CO2 emissions yearly (World Resources Institute).
Fashion reflects this ethos. Designers like Michael Kors (pre-2018) and smaller labels like Overland use coyote and raccoon for minimalist jackets, while beaver and fox trim elevate outerwear. Runways from New York Fashion Week 2023 showcased fur as ethical luxury—think raccoon fur hoods paired with denim. At Westerman’s Fur Products, we echo this, crafting sustainable coyote fur hats and beaver gloves that marry style with stewardship.
