The American Fur Co., founded in New York in 1808 by John Jacob Astor, was the first big business enterprise to operate in Chicago. Between 1817, when the company first sent traders to Chicago, and 1832, American Fur was the most important economic institution in the tiny town. Several of the company's Chicago employees during the 1820s, including John Kinzie, John Crafts, Jean Beaubien, Gurdon S. Hubbard, and Archibald Clybourn, became Chicago's most prominent citizens in the years that followed. Soon after Astor sold the company in 1834, its Chicago operations closed.

This entry is part of the Encyclopedia's Dictionary of Leading Chicago Businesses (1820-2000) that was prepared by Mark R. Wilson, with additional contributions from Stephen R. Porter and Janice L. Reiff.