John Jacob Astor Letter

John Jacob Astor was a prominent early American businessman, noted for his role in the fur trade. Born July 17, 1763, in Waldorf, Germany, he emigrated to New York City and founded a fur goods shop in 1786. A shrewd trader, he became the leading figure in the fur trade by 1800, notably through his foundation of the American Fur Company and dealings in furs in China. He also invested in New York City real estate, which established a family fortune that would last for generations. The wealthiest man in the United States at the time of his death, he left a $400,000 bequest for the formation of the Astor Library, which would become amalgamated as one of the founding elements of New York Public Library in 1895. Astor passed away on March 29, 1848, leaving 7 children. His wife, Sarah Cox Todd, whom he wed in 1785, passed away in 1842.