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John Jacob Astor

Stuff You Missed in History Class

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Astor's Trapping Business

In 1836, Washington Irving wrote Astoria or anecdotes of an enterprise beyond the Rocky Mountains. The book sold a lot of copies and was published in several translations. It also made JJ Astor very pleased. Although he was not actively working, after selling American Fur Company, Astor continued to make money in real estate. He bought mortgages for deeply discounted rates when others were struggling; never hesitating to seize property when original owner defaulted.

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