Rocky Mountain Rendezvous facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rocky Mountain Rendezvous |
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Typical rendezvous scene
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| Status | No longer held |
| Begins | Early summer |
| Ends | Mid-summer |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location(s) | Various |
| Years active | 1825 – 1840 |
| Founder | William Henry Ashley |
| Participants | Fur trappers & merchants |
The Rocky Mountain Rendezvous was an annual gathering, held between 1825 to 1840 at various locations, organized by a fur trading company at which trappers and mountain men sold their furs and hides and replenished their supplies. The fur companies assembled teamster-driven mule trains which carried whiskey and supplies to a pre-announced location each spring-summer and set up a trading fair (the rendezvous). At the end of the rendezvous, the teamsters packed the furs out, either to normally the British Companies to Fort Vancouver in the Pacific Northwest for the British companies or to one of the northern Missouri River ports such as St. Joseph, Missouri, for American companies.
Rendezvous were known to be lively, joyous places, where all were allowed—fur trappers, Indians, native trapper wives and children, travelers and later tourists—who would venture from as far as Europe to observe the festivities. James Beckwourth describes: "Mirth, songs, dancing, shouting, trading, running, jumping, singing, racing, target-shooting, yarns, frolic, with all sorts of extravagances that white men or Indians could invent."
Rendezvous are still celebrated as gatherings of like-minded individuals. The fur trading rendezvous are celebrated by traditional black-powder rifle clubs in the U.S. and Canada. These events range from small gatherings sponsored by local clubs to large gatherings like the Pacific Primitive Rendezvous, the Rocky Mountain National Rendezvous, and others. They include many of the activities as the originals, centering on shooting muzzle-loading rifles, trade guns and shotguns; throwing knives and tomahawks; primitive archery; as well as cooking, dancing, singing, the telling of tall tales and of past rendezvous. Personas taken on by participants include trappers, traders, housewives, Native Americans, frontiersmen, free-trappers and others, including soldiers.
Locations
- 1825: McKinnon, Wyoming. The first rendezvous of white traders and trappers in the Rocky Mountains occurred in July 1825 just north of McKinnon along Henrys Fork. They joined members of William Henry Ashley's expedition. At this rendezvous, Jedediah Smith became Ashley's partner in the fur trade.
- 1826: Cache Valley, Utah, either at today's Cove or at the more southern Hyrum. After the rendezvous, Ashley and Smith continued up to the Bear River where they met up with David Jackson and William Sublette. Smith, Jackson and Sublette bought out Ashley's share of the fur company.
- 1827: Bear Lake, near today's Laketown, Utah. Conflicts and fights with Blackfoot Indians occurred during the meeting.
- 1828: Bear Lake. More fights with the Blackfoot occurred.
- 1829: Lander, Wyoming.
- 1830: Riverton, Wyoming. Smith, Jackson and Sublette sold their company to Jim Bridger, Thomas Fitzpatrick, Milton Sublette (the brother of William), Henry Freab and Baptiste Gervais.
- 1831: Cache Valley. The support trek was late, so there was no real rendezvous.
- 1832: Pierre' Hole, east of Rexburg, Idaho.
- 1833: Daniel, Wyoming.
- 1834: Granger, Wyoming. The Rocky Mountain Fur Company was dissolved, and the American Fur Company took over supplying the rendezvous.
- 1835: Daniel, Wyoming.
- 1836: Daniel, Wyoming.
- 1837: Daniel, Wyoming.
- 1838: Riverton, Wyoming.
- 1839: Daniel, Wyoming.
- 1840: Daniel, Wyoming.
See also
In Spanish: Rendezvous de las Montañas Rocosas para niños
