Joseph Aime Sire Letter

Collection

Identifier: A3185

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of one autograph letter signed by Joseph A. Sire to Pierre Chouteau, Jr. regarding competition in the fur trade. The letter is in French and is dated May 6, 1852. With the letter Sire transmitted returns from agents in the field to Chouteau, which are not present. He commented upon the low volume of furs reported by not only their agents but also by its competitors: "It would seem that our opponents must be doing a very weak trade…I cannot comprehend how, if [Honore] Picotte has made only 900 packs in the district of Fort Pierre, he will collect a total of 4000 packs and our opponents only 1500…I don’t count more than 75-80,000 [buffalo] robes against 93,000 last year…I would much like to count on the [balance sheet] of CM&S [Chouteau, Merle & Sanford] provided that it be correct." Sire and Jean Baptiste Sarpy wished to withdraw or retire from the company, perhaps due to their age. He inquired about the timeline for their departure.

Dates

1852 May 6

Creator

Sire, Joseph A. (Joseph Aime), 1799-1854 (Author, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, quote from, or reproduce material in this collection, please contact the Archives Reference Desk at archives@mohistory.org. Copyright restrictions may apply. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.

Biographical Sketch

Joseph Aime Sire was born in La Rochelle, France on February 17, 1799. He came to the United States as a youth and settled in Philadelphia to work under Vital M. Garesche. In 1826 Sire moved to St Louis and gained employment from mill owner Sylvestre Labadie. The following year he married Labadie’s daughter, Virginia. Unfortunately, Sire’s young wife and child both died in the fall of 1828. Sire soon began working on steamboats in the employ of the Western Department of the American Fur Company with Pierre Chouteau, who is credited with pioneering the use of steamboats in the fur trade. For approximately six years, Sire distinguished himself as a captain along the Upper Missouri and Yellowstone River routes and eventually ran Chouteau’s transportation division. In April 1843 he took charge of the Omega on a voyage to Fort Union, which included naturalist John J. Audubon. In 1852, Sire married widow Rebecca West Sefton Chouteau in St. Louis. Cholera took his life at his St. Louis home on July 16, 1854.

Extent

0.02 Cubic Feet ( (1 folder))

Language of Materials

French

Additional Description

Arrangement

One item comprises the collection.

Physical and Technical Requirements

There are no physical or technical restrictions.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The letter was purchased from the William Reese Company in 2021 (accession number 2021-069).

Related Materials

Please also consult the following collections: (1) Fur Trade Collection (A0540) and (2) Chouteau Family Collection (A0274).

Sources Consulted During Processing

The book For Wood and Water: Steamboating on the Missouri River from Saint Louis to Fort Union, Dakota Territory, 1841-1846 (MHS Library) offers a brief biography of Sire and a translation of the captain’s logbook located in the Fur Trade Collection. It includes the 1843 passage of the Omega on which John J. Audubon traveled west to Fort Union.