Denison High School Rendezvous
Presented by the 11th grade students of the American Heritage Class at Denison-Schleswig High School
Wednesday, October 9th
At Washington Park
Tour Times:
- 10:00 to 11:00
- 11:15 to 12:15
- 1:00 to 2:00
The students create skits about the people who played a part in western expansion.
Local 5th grade classes come and are the principal audience but it is open to the public.
In 1825 William Ashley of St. Louis headed west to the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to meet (or rendezvous) with the mountain men. For Ashley, it was business venture—he needed beaver furs to send to hat makers in Europe and the eastern United States. The mountain men were in the Rocky Mountains to trap beaver and provide the furs. Ashley’s yearly rendezvous began as nothing more than a business meeting, but it soon became something much bigger—an annual month-long gathering of some of the toughest, bravest, and most colorful characters in the history of the West. They would trade, tell stories, dance, sing, and compete with each other in feats of strength and skill.
Today, our Rendezvous brings together the people who played a part in America’s westward expansion. Meet the mountain men, cowboys, Native Americans, missionaries, homesteaders, inventors, women, entertainers, story tellers, lawmen, and outlaws who shaped America. They are all brought together today, as the juniors of Denison-Schleswig High School bring them to life.
Thank you for joining us, enjoy the show, and welcome to Rendezvous!