2015 Fort Union Rendezvous

The following is transcribed from my field journal. There are typos, misspellings and editings as there would be for transcriptions of other period journals. This entry is from the 2015 Fort Union Rendezvous at Fort Union Trading Post National Historic Site.

Wednesday, June 17th, 2015
Fort Union Rendezvous
This year Rendezvous is going to be a bit different. I will be here both as a living historian and as a park ranger. Earlier today I was able to get our tent set up in the camp next to Paul’s and was able to drop off all the blankets in it for my family. I figured this would be a good way to go as it would be one less thing to worry about when my family arrived tonight. It turned out to be a good idea. When we arrived this evening it was raining. We sat in the van for a short while until the rain subsided enough to go outside. We met Paul and Brandon and our friends of the Canadien contingent, Mark & Chris, Mike & Megan and their son Rhett.

After the rain had essential quick we unloaded the kids and transferred the rest of our gear to the tent. We had Kim’s new rain fly and I hadn’t had a chance to put together a ridgepole and end pole for it. I scrounged the old broken tipi poles and cut them to length with Paul’s buck saw. After he returned on a short hike with the kids he helped me put up the fly and get it staked down.

After we got the kids put down we spent a few hours talking with Brandon and Paul before we finally retired for the evening. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. I’ll need to get the trapper camp demo set up early for tomorrow’s Kids Day.

Thursday, June 18th, 2015

Fort Union Rendezvous
I got up early this morning so my usual routine would be done with sooner. 

I gathered a set of poles to put together a lean-to shelter for our trapper camp. Rod and Sawyer helped me put it together. It consisted of two tripods, a horizontal pole running between the two and several poles leaning against the horizontal. We then tied the ground cloth to it and placed my buffalo robe under it. Rob and Moriah brought us a table that wasn’t being used in the clerk’s office to be used as a display table for our demo area. Rod was able to display his horse gear on it along with historic traps and equipment. Tod was able to make it out today and help with the demo. He brought his two horses along and they were able to use them later on with Rod’s demo on horse use and tack of the fur trade. Rod said at one point, “By the way, Mark and Charlotte arrived.” “They are!?” I said with a smile on my face. Rod chuckled and responded, “Now he’s excited.” I was looking forward to seeing them and talking with Charlotte about a clothing project and with Mark about my rifle. It would have to wait for now.

Due to safety reasons we were not able to build our usual open fire in our demo area that is inside of where the dwelling range used to be so we were using a “double brazier” instead, which we surrounded with firewood to mask it as best as we could. Rod brought some ribs to roast over the fire like we had done last year. By good providence I had managed to trap a rabbit earlier this morning that we would roast over the fire later.

We had a large number of kids and parents

stop by our demo area. We seemed to be a popular place to stop by. It was good having Tod join us in the demo this year. At times we had so many people stopping by that all three of us were talking to different people at the same time. Chris had been doing Indian Sign Language with the kids right behind us by the hunter shack and later on would be doing his presentation as Hugh Glass. We answered a lot of questions and explained the difference between the rendezvous system and the trading post system during the fur trade. The visitors seemed to enjoy seeing and hold the period beaver traps, feeling the beaver tail and smelling the bait in Rod’s bait bottle. In the afternoon my beaver plew had finished thawing so I was able to flesh it on the beam as visitors stopped by the trapper camp. Gordon stopped in with a piece of pottery he’d made for me. 

Most of the day was spent inside of the fort walls. It took several attempts, but, I was finally able to escape to the outside for the evening. The first stop was to see Gordon and Susan, my favorite potters. I’ll be stopping in to see them again to pick up a few more pieces. Next I stopped in to see Mark and Charlotte. Mark said he’d brought my rifle to work on during his gunsmithing demos and that we’d talk about my rifle later on when I had more time.

Photo by Kris Baxter

I got a fire going for Kim and set to making dinner for us. Slab bacon, sliced thick, and sliced potatoes. The kids really enjoyed it. This year was the first time they were able to roam around quite a bit. While Tod, Rod and I were doing our trapper camp demo Kim was helping at the craft area. Sig, Bryn and Garrick played around inside the walls during the day and later on were hunting toads with their friends. They had done well today with their freedom.

After the kids went down for the night we went next door to Paul’s tent and enjoyed some libations and talked for several hours... When we made it back to our tent I was very surprised to see just how late it was. I was informed today by Travis, our head of maintenance that a couple of packages had arrived for me. It should be my uniform, which is good as I am supposed to be in uniform and working in the Bourgeois house tomorrow. Hopefully it will fit.

Friday, June 19th, 2015
Fort Union Rendezvous
I woke early this morning to get showered. Our wonderful maintenance staff had brought the packages I had received yesterday up to the Fort for me. Inside I found a complete uniform and parts of two more. Miraculously everything fit. It may seem different or weird to some, but I felt so proud to be able to wear my NPS Park Ranger uniform. Putting on my NPS straw ranger hat was the icing on the cake. Fred, one of our rangers loaned me the use of one of his NPS badges for the weekend until I would be issued a set next week.

We had a number of people cycle through the bourgeois house today. I answered a LOT of questions. 

At one point I was spelled by Loren and went out to check on how things were going in the camp. Things appeared to be going well. I was able to stop in and make contact with each of our vendors and introduce myself. 

My rounds in the camp complete I stopped in to see Mark and Charlotte. Mark showed me my rifle in his portable work vise and walked me through the state of things. Long story short, the establishment we gotten the parts from, a reputable outfit, had some misleading information about the parts for the rifle. Everything was high quality, however, not all of it was as it should have been for the type of rifle it was. This was not Mark’s fault. I could tell he felt poorly about the situation. While the establishment may have failed us, I know that Mark’s craftsmanship will not. I know it will be a finely made, dependable rifle that I will be honored to carry with me and use wherever I may make my camp.

I went with Lisa to inspect a vendor’s tent. The gentleman was an odd “cat” of different “hats”, a reference only some will understand.

Stopping in to see Charlotte I found a nice box for Kim made by Mark, a case bottle and a better vent pick. I let Charlotte know I’d stop by later to talk with her about a clothing project for me for next year.

I took the box to our camp where Kim was at. She was pleased.

Back in the bourgeois house we contented with another onslaught of visitors. Many questions. There were some very interesting visitors with great questions and then there were others. One particular gentleman kept talking and talking and whenever I’d attempt to speak to other visitors he dragged back into the conversation. Kim came in with lunch for me and tried to intervene but to no avail.

We’d been monitoring the weather all day via satellite imagery and had been concerned about a storm cell making its way toward the fort. As the cell came closer it grew in intensity. We made the decision to inform the camp that it was time to “baton down the hatches.” I was dispatched to the camp to inform them of the situation and assist with preparations. It was impressive to see how the living historians helped each other attach new guy lines and drive new stakes to secure their tents. If someone was short of something someone else quickly offered up extra stakes or rope they had.

Satellite imagery went purple and we decided it was time to move everyone into the fort

for safety. Most people came, some decided to ride out the storm in camp. Tod brought his horses in from the outside corral and put them in one of the small corrals that was built into the fort’s walls. Some of the living historians went into the trade house and many ended up inside the bourgeois house. The kids sat on the floor in the main area playing games while Jeff played guitar and sang. We kept observing the storm from the upstairs level and from the covered porch. 

Hail. Some marble size and quickly dwindled into pea size. We watched a horrendous wind move the tipi in the courtyard, pulling up most of the stakes holding the edges down. The only thing that kept it from completely blowing over was the rope that ran from the top of the poles to the two long stakes pounded in at criss-cross angles. In the aftermath amazingly, only two tents had gone down during the storm outside the walls. The rest stood. No major damage done. Everything was soaked, but nothing ruined.

Ben, Amanda and myself set to putting up tall hitching posts made of tripods with tipi poles set horizontally across them for people to dry out their soaked blankets and ground cloths. 

Tonight was our camp meeting where we all sat down together and went over the

Photo by Lyla Kraft

guidelines and expectations for the remainder of rendezvous. Andy, our superintendent welcomed the camp; Lisa one of our rangers and volunteer coordinator spoke about what paperwork still needed to be completed; Brandon, one of our Fort Union Muzzleloaders and this year’s bourgeois talked a little about the events taking place tomorrow; and I, as the assistant bourgeois said hi to everyone as well. As an EMT I was going to be the contact person in the event of a medical or trauma scenario. To this point, aside from slivers in the camp kids’ fingers and toes, we’ve had no major incidents. Hopefully that will be the case for the remainder of rendezvous.

Kim K. arrived today and will be camping per usual with Mark and Charlotte.

Kim (my Kim) was a bit beside herself this evening, which was understandable as the interior of our tent was soaked. She’d gotten enough blankets dried on the hitching posts to keep us all warm tonight and had gotten the ground cloths dried as well. Brandon shared his fire with us and I took care of making supper, a stew, while Kim attended to Garrick and just sat and relaxed for a bit. The Maddens stopped by and shared some dessert with us that helped lighten Kim’s spirits. I was able to arrange for another barrier between our ground cloth and the mud. We were able to stop by Mark and Charlotte’s camp and share some shrub with them, Rod and Kim K. It was good to spend some time with them this evening.

We were both exhausted by the time we retired for the evening.

Back in period clothes for tomorrow.  

Saturday, June 20th, 2015
Fort Union Rendezvous
Slept well.

Today I roamed between the camp and the inside of the fort. I spelled Loren and Fred some in the bourgeois house with all the people we had coming through, which was many more than yesterday.

I went into the clerk office side of the trade house to snap a picture of the painting of Denig and ended up with several accidental tour groups, talking to them about how Kurz’s painting of the Indians got him into trouble down river when some were dying of small pox, Denig, and Kurz’s painting of Natoh. It was unexpected but was a fun little talk to share with the visitors none the less. 

Was able to talk with Charlotte about putting together a frock coat that matches what Denig is wearing in the painting of the trade room, a new shirt and a pair of pants to wear as bourgeois next year. She agreed and was relieved that I wouldn’t be needing them until next year’s rendezvous. She said she’ll have them ready early enough so that any final alterations can be made before rendezvous. I’m very excited about the new bourgeois clothing. Tonight I will be wearing boots I was able to procure from Brandon, my regular brown pants, blue check shirt, red scarf, brown wool vest and black top hat. A bit hodge-podge but the best I have as assistant bourgeois. 

Got a knife from Bob S. today that I will use with my 6th Infantry kit at Fort Buford.

I was able to sit in on Jim Hardee’s talk today about Nathaniel Wyeth. I enjoyed it. Learned something new about the “Grand Tetons”. Mike Casler was here for the talk as well and shared with me about a few articles he’s been working on that are going to be published soon along with some interesting information about Fort Floyd.

Around 4pm today Brandon and I went around and met with everyone in camp. As the

assistant bourgeois it was my job to notate everyone in camp in the book. The nice thing about this honorary position is that you get to meet everyone and have a chance to find out who everyone is. It took about two hours. When we completed the task we made slips with the names of all the adults for tonight’s drawings before the dance. The big prize is the special chief’s blanket that has been nicknamed “The Fort Union Blanket.”

Brandon and I returned to the camp famished. Tonight was the night that there is a huge camp stew prepared by Tim S. (Swede). The Lisenbees made homemade rolls and possibly some huge round loaves of bread. I inhaled two bowls of stew and three of the large rolls.

Photo by Lyla Kraft

After supper we all convened in the courtyard for the drawings. Brandon and I did some welcoming announcements and thank yous to everyone. We drew the names out of my new Tim Bender top hat. We had my son Garrick help us by having him take the prizes to the people who won them. It was a pretty fun time with joking, laughter and music. 

During the dance I ended up giving some special Bourgeois House tours to about a dozen people or so. As like last year the music moved from the courtyard to the camp.

I was able to go to the six main camps and share some shrub with everyone. Kim’s raspberry shrub was a hit. 

I was able to spend some time at the Madden for a while. Terry offered me a drink and Marcia gave me a generous portion of apple crisp. We shared some good laughs and I really enjoyed the company. It was good to spend some time with them. This year I hadn’t gotten much of an opportunity to spend much time in anyone’s camp. 

Back at our camp we had Ben and Amanda, Ross, Paul, Mark and Charlotte, Brandon, Kris, Mike and Lisa, Kim K. and Rod and Briana. Was able to spend some time in good conversation, enjoying everyone’s company. 

The time finally came to retire for the evening. Today was a good day.

Sunday, June 21st,2015
Fort Union Rendezvous
Today my 1790s contract rifle went with me wherever I went. 

Spent most of the morning between the bourgeois house and the courtyard talking to visitors. Was able to catch Rod’s demo about horse use and tack of the fur trade. It was a good presentation. Tod had his horses there during the presentation as well. There was a good number of people who attended it. I was able to snag a copy of Rod’s notes, complete with excerpts from the different inventories.

Got to see Chris Floyd’s presentation as Hugh Glass. He did a fantastic job. He was

able to paint scenes in your mind with the words he spoke that gave the listener a better idea of just how bad it must have been for Glass to continue on after the bear attack.

Helped Kim get the rest of our gear tore down and packed into the van.

We had more incoming weather so I was able to help out some of the folks in camp who were tearing down, including the Morains and the Luchts.

After checking in with Loren, Kim and the kids and I departed midafternoon. It had been four long, but very good, days of rendezvous at Fort Union. It was different experiencing it as both a living historian and as a park ranger. Not bad, just different. I am looking forward to having a slower day tomorrow where we unpack, air out the blankets and canvas, do laundry and get everything put back into order. 

I look forward to Labor Day weekend where I will see many of our friends again and help the visitors experience life at Fort Union.

-- Leifer