When you meet George Nelson in the Wild Rice exhibit, you will get the "inside story" on the fur trade business, as well as see examples of common trade goods. So look for George and his furs, and be sure to bring your best muskrat skins with you to trade!

George Nelson was born in Sorel, Canada, in 1786 and started his fur trade career in 1802 at age 15 as an a apprentice clerk for the XY Company. His employment in the fur trade continued until 1823. During this time he worked for the North West Company and the Hudson Bay Company and was stationed at such posts as Grand Portage (along the Pigeon River in Minnesota), Folle Avoine (along the Yellow River in Wisconsin), and Tete au Brochet (along the western shore of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba).

Although George Nelson never rose above the rank of clerk and once described his career as "wretched," his record of transactions, as well as his personal reminiscences, were significant contributions to history. His written observations show him to be a conscientious clerk who could listen to, record, and over time appreciate the thoughts and words of the diverse peoples among whom he lived and worked. After his retirement from the fur trade, Nelson moved back to Sorel with his Ojibwe wife and daughters. He was involved in a number of different business ventures, and later wrote his reminiscences. He died in Sorel in 1859, survived only by one of his daughters.