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1826
Willow Valley (Cache Valley) Rendezvous.
The exact site of this rendezvous is uncertain, It was probably at
the south end of Willow Valley, where goods and supplies had been cached,
although another plausible location is near the north end of the valley
where John H Weber and his men had their winter camp in the winter of
1824-1825. In either case the
rendezvous was located within the territory of Mexico.
(Map)
William Ashley led the supply train up to the
mountains this year. According
to Ashley, he arrived with the pack train on May 25th, 1826
after 78 days of travel from St. Louis.
The duration of this rendezvous is uncertain but probably lasted
more than one month, and perhaps as long as eight weeks.
Whereas the rendezvous of the previous year had a very businesslike
atmosphere, this years rendezvous was an extended party/reunion which came
to characterize subsequent rendezvous.
According to James Beckwourth, “Shortly
after, General Ashley and Mr. Sublet came in, Accompanied with three
hundred pack mules, well laden with goods and all things necessary for the
mountaineers and the Indian trade. It
may well be supposed that the arrival of such a vast amount of luxuries
from the East did not pass off without a general celebration.
Mirth, songs, dancing, shouting, running, jumping, singing, racing,
target-shooting, yarns, frolic, with all sorts of extravagances that white
men or Indians could invent were freely indulged in.
The unpacking of the medicine water contributed not a little to the
heightening of our festivities.”
There is no
information on prices paid, or supplies because of a lack of documents for
this rendezvous. William
Ashley was the first to realized that the real wealth in the Rocky
Mountains would be from transport of goods to the mountains, and furs from
the mountains, thereby controlling trade and profits on both ends of the
supply line. On July 18th,
while enroute to St Louis on the Bear River after the rendezvous was over,
Ashley sold out his interest in the fur company to Jedediah
Smith, David Jackson and William Sublette.
In St Louis, the furs from this years harvest were valued at
$60,000.
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1827
Rendezvous
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