Just what in the heck is a Rendezvous, anyway?

A Rendezvous is an historical reenactment of the gatherings of the Mountain Men during the fur-trade era of the American West. Lovers of America's history get together from all over the country to create an old-time camp that re-creates the sights, sounds, smells, flavors and feelings of the past. A Rendezvous is like stepping into a time machine to see Montana in the 1830's, the way it really was! Some of the participants look like they stepped out of a museum, and in fact, some of the participants work in museums.

A modern-day rendezvous is pretty tame compared to one of the originals. Back then, these gatherings were a good deal more, shall we say, pungent. There were full-scale battles, fights to the death, shootings, knifings, horse races, robbery, debauchery, fortunes made and lost in gambling... what a time, what a life!

At the Montana 1830's Encampment, we try to keep the excitement alive, but it really is a safe, fun "family event." While you may well see several gunfights, everybody is shooting blanks, and we all have dinner together later on.

You can buy many items at the Montana 1830's Encampment. Go on a 19th Century shopping spree! The variety of items available is amazing, and the quality is first rate.

Reenactors become fascinated with the history of the Fur Trade era, the fancy colorful costumes, the ingenious and functional old fashioned camp gear, the beauty of complex beadwork, the artistry of a finely crafted black powder flintlock rifle, and the romance of a small, dancing campfire inside a tipi on a cool night. They find that living at a Rendezvous, when it's done "right," is actually not a trial of "roughing it" in the wild, but rather a comforting way of life, with a slow, easy pace, and lots of time for companionship with good friends and an excellent way to relax and get away from the pressures and frantic scheduling of the 21st Century. And, many if not most reenactors find that the pride of owning a fine beadworked bag, a tacked rawhide knife sheath, a fancy calico shirt fit for a movie star, or a perfectly tailored fringed buckskin coat with fancy trim, well, it is all the more pleasurable when you made it yourself. Virtually every participant at Howell's will be wearing or carrying something they made with their own hands, and often the artistry and workmanship is exquisite, ranging from handmade wooden camp furniture to hand-forged hunting knives, from lavish complex beadwork to the elegant simplicity of a tin and glass candle lantern.

You will find every such item offered by the "Traders," those merchants who bring not just the daily necessities and accouterments of early 19th Century life, but even luxuries and frivolous fancies of the era, and have it all for sale to the public in displays and tents that keep the historical illusion intact.