The fur-trade industry began in our country in the 1600s and lasted into the 1800s, driven by European demand for fur hats and accessories as symbols of success. In the Leech Lake Area, the original fur traders were French voyageurs, who established trading relationships with area tribes, often through marriages that formed strong kinship ties and ensured a steady supply of beaver pelts. Ojibwe women served as guides and interpreters and provided food for the men. Eventually the Northwest Fur Company and the American Fur Company established trading posts throughout the Leech Lake Area, including one on Squaw Point, now known as Oak Point, another at Headquarters Bay on the east end of Leech Lake, and one at Leech Lake Village, which later became the Village of Walker.