The Rocky Mountain Rendezvous, 1825-1840
Some of the first Europeans to explore the west and make contact with Native tribes were trappers and guides, known to history as mountain men, who worked for large fur companies, including Hudson's Bay Company (British) and American Fur Company (American). Due to the sheer size of the territories over which they roamed, there had to be a means for the companies to collect the furs and distribute supplies to keep the men in the field for the coming year. Because many of the early trappers were French Canadian in origin, much of the jargon associated with their work was French, hence the rendezvous. Between 1825-1840, fur companies would arrange to transport large supplies of liquor and trade goods to a set meeting point, usually in Utah, Wyoming or Idaho. Trappers would flock to the rendezvous, bringing their annual catch of beaver and other pelts to trade for supplies. Natives attended these gatherings, too, often bringing their own furs to trade for liquor, f...