Major Andrew Henry, The Mountain Men, The Fur Trade--single mounted figure
$108.00
Item Number: WSP-40
Major Andrew Henry, The Mountain Men, The Fur Trade
THE FUR TRADE
MOUNTAIN MEN - THE RENDEZVOUS
A mountain man was an explorer who lived in the wilderness. They were instrumental in opening up the various Emigrant Trails (widened into wagon roads) allowing Americans in the east to settle the new territories of the far west by organized wagon trains traveling over roads explored and in many cases, physically improved by the mountain men and the big fur companies originally to serve the mule train based inland fur trade.
Mountain men were most common in the North American Rocky Mountains from about 1810 through to the 1880s (with a peak population in the early 1840s). Approximately 3,000 mountain men ranged the mountains between 1820 and 1840, the peak beaver-harvesting period. While there were many free trappers, most mountain men were employed by major fur companies. The life of a company man was almost militarized. The men had mess groups, hunted and trapped in brigades and always reported to the head of the trapping party. This man was called a "boosway", a bastardization of the French term bourgeois. He was the leader of the brigade and the head trader.
The Rendezvous was an annual gathering, at various locations held by a fur trading company at which trappers and mountain men sold their furs and hides and replenished their supplies.
Held every summer, the trappers came together for the Rendezvous (pronounced “Rondy-Voo”) It was a celebration like Christmas, New Year’s Eve and the Fourth of July all rolled into one.
The large fur companies put together teamster driven mule trains which packed in whiskey and supplies into a pre-announced location each spring/summer and set up a trading fair- the Rendezvous.
Not only was the Rendezvous a place where the trappers could sell and trade their furs for all sorts of commodities, such as clothing, saddles, bridles, tobacco, and whiskey, but it was a place to meet traders who might wish to engage their services for the coming year.
These Rendezvous were known to be lively, joyous places, where all were welcome, fur trappers, Indians, native trapper wives, and children, travellers and even tourists who would venture from as far as Europe to observe the festivities.
By the mid-1830s, the annual event would attract up to 500 men.
They were described as events “full of myrth, songs, dancing, shouting, trading, running, singing, racing, target-shooting, yarns, frolics, with all sorts of extravagances that white men or Indians could invent!”
These events include many of the activities that were necessary for survival, centering on shooting, guns and shotguns; throwing knives and tomahawks; primitive archery; as well as cooking, dancing, singing, the telling of tall tales and of past rendezvous.
MAJOR ANDREW HENRY
Major Andrew Henry (c. 1775-January 10th, 1832) was an American miner, army officer, frontiersman, trapper and entrepreneur. Alongside William H. Ashley, Henry was the co-owner of the successful Rocky Mountain Fur Company, otherwise known as “Ashley’s Hundred”, for the famous mountain men working for their firm from 1822 to 1832.
He is depicted by John Huston in the 1971 film, “Man in The Wilderness”, and by Domhnall Gleeson in the 2015 film, “The Revenant”, both of which depict Hugh Glass’s bear attack and journey.
Released in FEBRUARY 2024.
