Rocky Mountain Rendezvous
rocky mountain rendezvous annual rendezvous held various location organized fur trading company trapper mountain men sold fur hide replenished supply fur company assembled teamsterdriven mule train carried whiskey supply preannounced location springsummer set trading fair rendezvous end rendezvous teamster packed fur either fort vancouver pacific northwest british company one northern missouri river port st joseph missouri american company early explorer trader jacques la ramee organized group independent free trapper first ever gathering early junction north platte laramie river befriending numerous native american tribe rendezvous known lively joyous place allowed—fur trapper indian native trapper wife child harlot traveler later tourists—who would venture far europe observe festivity james beckwourth describes mirth song dancing shouting trading running jumping singing racing targetshooting yarn frolic sort extravagance white men indian could invent rendezvous still celebrated gathering likeminded individual fur trading rendezvous celebrated traditional blackpowder rifle club u canada event range small gathering sponsored local club large gathering like pacific primitive rendezvous rocky mountain national rendezvous others include many activity similar original centering shooting muzzleloading rifle trade gun shotgun throwing knife tomahawk primitive archery well cooking dancing singing telling tall tale past rendezvous persona taken participant include trapper trader housewife native american frontiersman freetrappers others including soldier although original style rendezvous unnecessary longer occur memory various wyoming town city especially one rendezvous previously occurred put local festival resembling town fair may also another section festival dedicated traditional item buying selling activity thing sold may include arrowhead fan various animal hide walking stick carving knife whistle handcrafted jewelry laramées rendezvous presentday wyoming junction laramie north platte river mckinnon wyoming first rendezvous white trader trapper rocky mountain occurred july north mckinnon along henry fork joined member william henry ashleys expedition rendezvous jedediah smith became ashleys partner fur trade cache valley utah either today cove southern hyrum rendezvous ashley smith continued bear river met david jackson william sublette smith jackson sublette bought ashleys share fur company bear lake near today laketown utah conflict fight blackfoot indian occurred meeting bear lake fight blackfoot occurred lander wyoming riverton wyoming smith jackson sublette sold company jim bridger thomas fitzpatrick milton sublette brother william henry freab baptiste gervais cache valley support trek late real rendezvous pierre hole east rexburg idaho upper green river rendezvous site daniel wyoming granger wyoming rocky mountain fur company dissolved american fur company took supplying rendezvous daniel wyoming daniel wyoming daniel wyoming riverton wyoming daniel wyoming daniel wyoming red river jig fur trade montana eldredge scott j gowans fred r fur trade utah utah history encyclopedia university utah press isbn archived original march retrieved april rocky mountain rendezvous fred r gowans gibbs smith publisher isbn mountain men life rocky mountain west rendezvous fur trappercom mountain man rendezvous site archive copy accessed february idaho public television rendezvous