Photgraphs from MGP Visitors

A kind visitor shared photos from her recent visit to the Museum. She took some great pictures of the pond lilies, train, sculptures and trade post.
I didn't get her name, but here she is with Living History Interpreter Tim Poteete.
I just want to say THANKS!

Pictures from 2007 Fall Encampment

I love going through the photos from our 2007 Fall Encampment. One reason being that that was the year I met Tonda Harrup and Patsy Harper, two living history interpreters from south Texas who just appeared that year with the "usual" south Texas bunch. They set up a beautifully furnished tipi on the grounds of the Museum, just outside the Fort. Tonda and Patsy talked about women's role in the fur trade to hundreds of Museum visitors for two full days, and then dissappeared into the sunset, just as quietly as they had appeared. I'm hoping they will come again soon!
Their personal stories of how they became interested in history can be found here.
Oh, and as far as the "usual" south Texas bunch goes...I was just kidding. We don't really have any "usuals" around here...at least not when the Fall Encampment begins! As long as these members of the American Mountain Men Association choose to be here with us, you'll not find a better presentation on the southern Plains fur trade.

Fall Encampment 2009

Planning Underway for the Museum of the Great Plains

Annual 1830s Fall Encampment

September 29 – October 3

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day

Free to Museum Members

Tim Poteete, living history interpreter for the Museum of the Great Plains, has begun planning for the Museum’s annual 1830s Fall Encampment, which is always scheduled around the first Saturday in October. As is usual, Tim begins by sending out a letter to all AMM (American Mountain Men) members who have helped in the past. The letter is written in an old style that was customary at that time among merchants, trappers and traders, though it appears to us today to be full or grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. Tim has researched many primary sources over the years to include letters and journals in order to emulate the style. Not only are the letters historically accurate and period appropriate, they’re also interesting and fun. We hope you’ll find the letter of interest too. It is attached below. (Please don’t overlook the silent auction discussion. We hope to see you there.)

Friday, July 17, 2009

Coffee's Station, on Red River

Near the Mouth of Cache Creek

In the Comanche country

To all to whom these presents shall come,

Ladies & Gentlemen, Ne'r-do-wells, & other interested parties:

I take pen in hand to Extend Greetings to one & all, hoping that good health attends you & that a Kind & Munificent Providence will shine light upon your path, & thus ease an other wise difficult passage.

To my dismay, I am only just now relaying this missive. As we have had an inordinate amount of rain at this place, no communications have been able to go or arrive, due to creeks & rivers running bank-to-bank. That, & the "electronic mail" machines at this place are as independent as a hog on ice. They do as they please, when they please. It is well said, "Technology is great. When it works."

On a related note, if all who actually receive this missive will be kind enough to pass it along to any you feel will be interested, Cols. Coffee & Colville will greatly appreciate it. I have sent it to as many as I still have addresses for. Unfortunately, there are many stalwarts of the brigade whose information I lost recently while crossing the Little Washita when we had to cut a mule loose from its pack to keep it from drowning. (We did loose another mule & a horse during that same crossing.

As many of you will recall, last fall when the Red River Brigade congregated at Coffee's Station, an impromptu silent auction was held, & the money thrown into the log-replacement pot. (To date, we have purchased $4,800 worth of logs - enough to replace the southeast & northwest walls.)

Mr. Cuz Trumble, Shiner, Republic of Tejas, has suggested we hold another silent auction at this year's gathering, using talents of RR Brigade members. Each Brigade member will make one fur trade related item and put it on the block. The auction will occur during the day Saturday (October 3), and will be open to the public. As last fall, money raised will go into the "log pot." The general public will be able to see - and buy - AMM handiwork. Hopefully, by opening it to the public, we will generate more. More money for logs, more interest in the AMM, more interest in Coffee's Station, & more interest in MGP.

On a related note, there are tentative plans for entertainment at this year's gathering, to be provided by a group of itinerant musicians billing themselves as "The Falderal String Band." Their performance is not scheduled until 6 or 7-o'-clock on the 3^rd instant. As this is meant as a gesture of appreciation, we hope none take exception to the time of the performance.

Contact from Ft. Smith last spring contained price information from STL. Prime beaver were listed at $1.85/lb; otter $1.78 each; fox $1.73 each; 'cat & 'coon $1.67 ½ each, with prices expected steady or to decrease slightly as more bales were brought in. Ah, for the days of $9.00 / lb beaver! We may never see them again, I am sad to say.

As we are preparing to quit this place & return to Ft.S with this year's furs, I must now close & go help with the doctoring of one of our mules inflicted with a boil-type sore upon hiz person, as it were. Methuselah is old, steady & dependable, (would that ALL of Col C's employees were as good as him! Or as brite!!) & possessed of a sore upon his neck, which we have nearly healed up with diligent care & attention. He seems to know what we are about, & so lets us handle him with out difficulty, tho he seems to delight in playing mischif upon the un-suspecting. I will try to write again when we reach FtS, & until then wish to humbley remaine yore obeedient sarvant,

Tim Poteete

Spring Encampment April 20 - 25

Tim Poteete, the Museum's Living History Interpreter, has spent the last two days in Wichita Falls meeting with teachers and delivering posters to all the public schools he can. He wanted to be sure everyone down that way knew about the upcoming Spring Encampment. The program would make an excellent end of the year excursion following end of the year testing. Several schools have already made reservations, but we still have room for more. We can accommodate around 100-125 students per hour, because we have several re-enactors who can each present to 25-30 students. We have excellent re-enactors. Every time I stop to think about them, I feel so completely indebted to them, with no chance in sight of ever being able to pay them back for the service they provide. They are so knowledgeable of the 1830s -1840s Southern Plains history. Our community is extremely lucky to have them.
We're also lucky to have support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Oklahoma Arts Council, the Lawton Arts and Humanities and the City of Lawton.

Local Historian Wallace C. Moore, Sr.

Wallace C. Moore, Sr. was a guest speaker at the last GSCOAS meeting. He was terrific, as usual. Members and guests had a great time listening to his creative presentation on "Negro Scouts of the West". I can't wait to listen to the interview we recorded with Wallace after his presentation. It should be available soon. You can find it on the Chapter's website at www.gscoas.org

The Museum's Second Annual Bike Fest May 2nd

Photo Album of MGP Friends

I'm thinking about creating an online album of friends who visit the Museum. I think it would be really neat to have a collection of photos from our visitors for a few different reasons. First, I don't get to visit with or see many visitors unless they've signed up for a program, so I'm not sure how they interact with exhibits or which areas they spend the most time in, or which exhibits they most enjoyed. We have exit surveys and we collect zip codes, but seeing a picture of visitors enjoying the Museum would just be a great way to connect on a more personal level.

What do you think?

I was thinking I could simply post a request....something like this:

Have you visited the Museum of the Great Plains? If you send me a photo of your visit, I’ll post it on our new “MGP Friends From Around the World” online album. Be sure to include your name(s), and where you’re from. You might also write a caption. Oh, and please state that you give the Museum of the Great Plains permission to post your picture in the public online album.

Sound good?