Wisconsin Historical Society: Pierre Esprit Radisson, 1640? 1710

Pierre-Esprit Radisson arrived in Wisconsin in the mid-1600s as one of the first French fur traders to reach there. Radisson led a colorful life and traveled widely across the continent, although he is reputed to have exaggerated some of his stories. Still, his written accounts (linked here) shed light on Wisconsin's past. Radisson is also known as one of the founders of the Hudson Bay Trading Company.