1820 Question

[Thorlac]

Was the Hakens in production, I have read that it was, and was not.
Has any one there ever come across Inventory list for Rendezvous if the 1820s.If so can you tell me were to look.
My family, and I are looking t make most if not all our own gear, and we wont to be period correct.
Any help in this would be great.
Thanks

 

[ohio ramrod]

While I don't have the book at the moment (lent it to a friend) there are inventory lists that show Hawken rifles taken in the 1830's to rendezvous. As to 1820's I don't remember. But then at my age I don't remember a lot of things! :surrender:

 

[longcruise]

Maybe more useful info could be derived from Hawken production records. IOW, if they made a rifle in 1820, odds are it ended up in the Rocky Mountains. Fur trade manifests will tell you what the traders bought and took to the mountains but not what individual men bought in St Louis and then carried with them.

 

[Thorlac]

Thanks I did not think of that.

 

[necchi]

Here's some inventories for ya.
A good site all together for info, The American Mountian Men; AMM http://www.xmission.com/~drudy/mtman/bizrecs.html

 

[LaBonte]

Was the Hakens in production, I have read that it was, and was not.
Has any one there ever come across Inventory list for Rendezvous if the 1820s.If so can you tell me were to look.
My family, and I are looking t make most if not all our own gear, and we wont to be period correct.
Any help in this would be great.
Thanks

A simplified Hawken Brothers Timeline:
1) Jake opened shop in St Louis with Partner Lakenan in 1818
2) Sam moved to St Louis in 1822 and opened his own shop
3) After Lakenan's death in 1825 the brothers joined forces and opened the fmed Hawken Bros shop
4) Jake passed on in 1849 and the shop was then run by Sam and later by his son until the mid-1850's

The earliest known Hawken to go west is the one reputedly built for Gen'l Ashley in 1822.
Second is the one(s) taken west Etienne Provost in 1828-28.
Third in 1830 Wm May carried a Hawken west
on the trade lists they show in fair numbers:
1834-35: -six steel-mounted Hawken rifles
1836: 8 Hawkins " from $20 to $26
2 Rifles Hawkins @$24
1837: 10 Hawkens Rifles @$24

They also show on trade lists for Bent's Fort in 1838-39

Hope that helps......it's just a start

FWIW: while the first rendezvous was in 1825, the first Ashley Henry Expedition was in 1822

 

[Extranero]

Chuck summed it up well. Here are a couple of articles from the Museum of the Fur Trade Quarterly (www.furtrade.org)

Volume 17: Numbers 1-4 1981 Bound volume: $15
17:4 Paint Pigments in the Fur Trade; The Pad Saddle; A Note on the Accounts of James Lakenan and Jacob Hawken with the Superintendent of Indian Affairs, Missouri Territory 1820-1821; Collection Corner-Fire Steels

Volume 19: Numbers 1-4 1983 Bound volume: $15
19:2 Etienne Provost and the Hawken Rifle; Trunks for Indians; Aguardiente from the Rio Grande

You may be able to get photocopies of the individual articles through Interlibrary Loan or you can buy the bound versions from the MFT. The Quarterly is also a great resource for those interested in fur trade matters and it helps support the Museum.

Also see the x-mission site referred to above to access some of the trade records in searchable format.

Sean

 

[hoochiepapa]

...and their museum is awesome!