Our favorite rendezvous is the Big River Long Rifles Rendezvous in Prairie du Chien (WI), right on the shores of the Mississippi River ..... Visiting that rendezvous on the site of one of the original fur trade sites of Wisconsin history gives one the sense of stepping back into a time period that we will never see again, a time when fur trappers from all over the area would rendezvous to buy, sell, and trade their furs ..... Last summer, over 700 lodges of all shapes and sizes were set up, and there were thousands of campers, dressed in period costumes. It was an awesome sight .....
How can one describe the sights, sounds, and smells of a rendezvous? One has to be there to experience that memorable phenomenon .....
As I wander through the camp, names and places flit through my mind -- names such as Jedediah Smith, Jim Bridger, Hugh Glass, "Broken Hand" Fitzpatrick, Kit Carson, Joe Meek, Jim Beckwourth, John Colter, "Old Bill" Williams, the Sublette brothers -- places such as the Green River, the Wind River, the Popo Agie River, the Seeds-kee-dee River, the Yellowstone River, Pierre's Hole; sites of some of the original rendezvous ..... and the Indians who lived in the Rocky Mountains; the Crow, the Blackfeet, the Cheyenne, the Shoshone, the Arapahoe, and others ..... I see them all in my imagination ..... This is my favorite era of U.S. History, and my Mom always told me that she thought I had been born 150 years too late .....
My family and I have "rendezvoused" for nearly 20 years and each experience is like the first one ..... Our entire family has enjoyed this largest growing family sport in the U.S., and our grandchildren, Matthew, Jeremy, and Melissa, have grown up learning about our history -- both Wisconsin and U.S. history ..... What better way than to live it? .....
We have met many memorable fellow "buckskinners" and have exchanged interesting stories with all of them ..... At one camp I even experienced my first -- and only -- taste of "apple pie!" .....
I have been asked to do presentations for classes in the Richland School District. I dress in my 'voo regalia, and when I enter the room, what fun it is to watch the expressions of the kids. When they see the things I have on display, they learn about the crafts and the way of life of those long ago fur trappers ..... And, what interesting questions the students ask! ..... We are "living history" -- what better education can the kids have? .....
My name is Rich, but you can call me GRIZ -- my camp name .....
I have added several pages of pictures of our rendezvous so that you can get the "feel" of what our camp looks like. I hope you enjoy them .....
Thank you for visiting my page ..... Please tell others about us .....
April 21, 2004
