In 1825 tax assessments for residents of the Chicago area appeared in the records for Peoria Country, which had been established that year. Cook County was organized in 1831. The roll of taxpayers from the "Chicago precinct" listed members of several multiracial families that played key roles in the fur trade and other regional economic activities. The Beaubien, LaFramboise, Robinson, and Ouilmette (listed here as Wilemet) families included Métis, Indian, Euro-American, and Euro-Canadian members. Other prominent residents on the list were American Fur Co. officials John Kinzie (Kinsey) and John Crafts, as well as Alexander Wolcott, who worked as a fur trader, physician, and federally appointed Agent of Indian Affairs.

Creator: John L. Bogandus
Source: Chicago Historical Society (ICHi-37974)