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 3rd 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
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