| LinkExchange Member | Free Home Pages at GeoCities |
"The trapper had his pride to live up to. He would have to have women until he panted with fatigue, drink until he fell down, fight until he was knocked down, and then rouse his buddies from the sagebrush and force everyone to do it all again."
GIVE YOUR HEART TO THE HAWKS by
--Winfred Blevins--
From 1807, until 1825, the mountain trapper had a couple of choices to make in order to get his plews to the markets "back east." He could make the trek back himself to the marketplaces in St. Louis, travel to Ft. Lisa at the mouth of the Big Horn River, venture to Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River, or go south to Santa Fe.
There had been several attempts and various endeavors to establish trade centers in several parts of the vast area of the west. Nearly all of these attempts failed; Ft. Lisa lasted from 1807 til 1811, Jacob Astor gave up Astoria after 2yrs. and so on. It got to be that a trapper didn't know when he headed out to a trading post if that post would even be there when he arived or not. Pretty frustrating for one who might travel several hundred miles, fight or avoid Indians, starve or go without even water just to get there to find the post deserted or burned.
In 1825, a profound change took place in the lives of everyone, even remotely associated with the fur trade, in the mountains. Gen. William Ashley improvised a method of trade when he met the trappers who had gathered from all over the country west of the continental divide at a place called Henry's Fork of the Green River. The trappers were so thrilled with the concept of a general gathering once a year to unload their furs and take on "fixins" for another year of mountain life that a pattern was immediately established. The trappers would meet each year for trade in an area established the previous year prior to the breakup of the gathering. They called this gathering: RENDEZVOUS.
The period of the RONDEZVOUS ended in 1843, with William Drummond Stewart financing the supplies for the last gathering. An era had ended. Even Old Gabe, only attempted one more year as a trapper before he established Ft. Bridger along the Oregon Trail and began trading with the great migration which was traveling west. Bridger wasn't the last of the trappers who tried to maintain the mindset that "beaver will shine" again, but that is another story.
Today there are again RONDEZVOUS taking place all over this country. There are also folks, like those listed below, who maintain the old traditions of the past. Try some of the links below that I have provided and see if these fine folks can't provide you with some "plunder." Good luck! Bet you find something that will make your mouth water!!
TRADERS, SUTTLERS, AND MERCHANTS Jas.Townsend & Son, Inc.
If you tried some or all these links and found items that you want or wish you could have, but feel you don't have the means to get them, there may be an answer for you, don't give up your dreams! Send me an E-mail, put "fulfill my dreams" on the subject line, I'll get right back with you.
This page created by:"Pitwe-owa"
BEST VIEWED WITH NAVIGATOR 3.0
If you have a question or comment then send me a note. BACK TO HOMEPAGE or visit my NEXT PAGE
This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page
