The Great Lakes Fur Trade

A Presentation with Professor Randa Duvick

Date: Thursday, April 23, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Pines Village Retirement Communities
3303 Pines Village Circle, Valparaiso, IN
Cost: Free and open to the public

Pines Village Retirement Communities is pleased to host a special presentation in partnership with Porter County Museum exploring the history of the Great Lakes fur trade.

Join us for an engaging talk by Valparaiso University Professor Randa Duvick, who will share her research on Joseph Bailly, the first European settler in Porter County, and the realities of running a fur trading business in the early nineteenth century.

Drawing from Bailly’s original account books, Professor Duvick offers a closer look at how trade actually worked during this time. Her research highlights what goods were exchanged with Native communities, how traders managed employees and wages, and the many challenges they faced, including competition, supply issues, and shifting political and legal systems.

This presentation goes beyond dates and facts. It tells the story of the people behind the trade and the decisions they had to make in a complex and uncertain environment.

The event also complements Porter County Museum’s current exhibit, From a Bailly Point of View, which explores the Bailly family through historical artifacts. Guests are encouraged to visit the exhibit before it closes on April 26.

No registration is required. Seating is first come, first served.