The following information was provided by John Garcia. 

Bertholomew Berthold was a founder of the American Fur Company during the early 1800's. His leadership, education, financial connections, and diplomatic savvy helped to forge a union of trappers and adventurers into a monopoly, which by all accounts acted on, implemeted, and funded United States Foreign Policy on the North American continent.

Bertholomew was from Tirol, a northern Italian state that had recently been ruled from Austria, but, during Napolean's european conquest, soon fell into French hands. Bertholomew fought against the invading French army in defense of His homeland, but was injured in combat. In some way, shape or form, (possibly via the top rate canals which stemmed from Tirol out to Venice) he landed in America at Baltimore in 1798 at the age of 18!

Quickly he made the rounds among the influential people of Baltimore, filing for citizenship in Philadelphia, and joining the local Masonic lodges. He most likely met nearly every 'founding father' at these lodges. He appears to have impressed many people and seemed to have access to some type of funding for business capital (possibly from family in Venice, or, even more controversial, possibly from England via Gibraltar). While still in his twenties, his contact with various business people during his East Coast stay caused him to gravitate toward the growing Indian trade, and so in about 1808 he moved to St. Louis, marrying the daughter of his future business partner Auguste Chouteau, the most prominent citizen of St Louis at the time.

Together, Berthold and Chouteau traded (some say ripped off) relentlessly with the osage, mandan and other tribes for furs, clothing, etc. Their efforts made both of them incredibly rich, along with their greatest financial credit supporter, John Jacob Astor, whom they knew well through some way not yet uncovered. Berthold was not exclusively resigned to trading houses and offices, though, as he numerous times traveled by horseback to Priere du Chien in Wisconsin and into North Dakota to trade with the Mandan Indians.

At a relatively young 51 years of age, Berthold died due to reasons not presently known. He died in 1831 in St. Louis and his TALL grave site can be seen in Calvary Cemetary in St. Louis still today. In honor of Berthold's work with the Mandans, the American Fur Company named its North Dakotan Mandan outpost "Ft. Berthold" after he died. This was not unusual, for example Berthold's nephew-in-law Pierre Chouteau has the capital city of Pierre, South Dakota named after him.

On a side note, Bertholomew Berthold's name was anglicized and changed upon his arrival in America. His real (Latin Name given to him by the Catholic Church) name was Berthelemie Matius Bertolla de Mocenigo. the "de Mocenigo" was dropped for his ctizenship papers. (consequently the name 'Mocenigo' is well represented through the doges of venice for nearly a thousand years.) After Berthold's death, his family married into VERY influential and weathy St. Louis Families and continued to work in the fur and banking sector for years, in addition to working as teachers. My current research has uncovered Mr. Berthold's life because of a possible connection he has to my family concerning an early 1831 Santa Fe Trail Pioneer by the name of Alexandro Bertoldo (Listed as Alex R. Berthold on the El Paso census of 1860) Further evidence from The records kept by the Mormon's geneological website show that the parents of Bertholomew Berthold were also the grand-parents of Alex Bertoldo (aka Alex Berthold) Lastly, on Alex Berthold's marraige license issued in New Mexico, his last name is listed as "Bertola." Alex seems to have had three names, his Tirolian name (bertola), His Anglicized name (berthold), and his Spanish name (bertoldo). I am looking for records which show his name possibly written in french as well. In the 1870 Mesilla, New Mexico Census, He lists himself as French! I personally think he didn't know what nationality he was and owing as to how French was widely spoken in St. Louis in the early 1800's he probably figured he was French. In fact, a family 'legend' hints at him being French.

The truth was recently uncovered by a Bertoldo ancestor on Ancestry.com who traveled to Gibraltar (Alex's possible birth place) in Europe and found Alex's birth certificate where it states that his father was from Tirol! and his mother was possibly Spanish. His father's name was Giovanni Bautista Bertola. (possibly Giovanni Baptiste Bertholet, of Rolette and Bertholet, prominent Priere Du Chien Traders in the early 1800's who were frequently visited by Bertholomew Berthold according to American Fur Company documents).

I am looking for records showing BertheIomew's brother's or sister's names because I believe that Santa Fe Trail Pioneer Alex Berthold was Berthelemew Berthold's nephew. Many promenent fur traders of St. Louis sent the males in their families into other lands, particularly Mexico (New Mexico) in order to forge blood ties with the local weathy or influential families through marraige.

In conclusion I hope this helps answer some questions. Please email me anything you might have on this subject because it is VERY interesting and Importent for American History--Sincerely John Garcia   Email John

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