Linn County’s original inhabitants — and the pioneers that followed — trapped, wore and traded fuzzy animal coats to protect themselves against the elements.

Fast forward to more recent times, and you may recall reading the obituary of longtime local furrier Al Berger, who died in 2006 at the age of 86.

Those early days and Berger’s passing serve as the fitting first and almost-last chapters of a once vibrant local fur trade that saw tremendous growth and a lot of tailoring before finally falling out of fashion.

Full story here.