The first ever rendezvous was organized by William Henry
Ashley who felt it was a better idea to take goods and supplies to the trappers in the mountains rather than have the trappers bring their furs to far distant places like St. Louis for trading. As a result, Ashley announced that he would bring a
caravan of supplies to the mountains and that there would be a rendezvous of trappers on the Green River on July 1, 1825.
The Green River Rendezvous, the first of the great mountain
events, was considered an outstanding success. As a result of that "big event," a rendezvous would be held somewhere in the mountains for the next sixteen years.
Ashley's innovation brought the necessary supplies to the area in which the trappers operated, and because the first one
was such an economizer of time and labor, it was also very profitable for the man who sold the supplies. "Mountain prices"
were quite high, but for the trappers, who didn't have to haul their furs long distances, it didn't matter; they were just happy not to have to make that long journey to the east and back. High prices were the norm, and they were to
continue throughout the trapper period.
As furtrade reenactors, we portray the lives of the trappers in the 21st century as they must have been in the early 19th century.
For a view ... click on a pic
