St. Charles County Parks Department Cancels the Hawken Classic Venue

[BobV9691]

Hawken Classic Supporters,

Many of you have asked why the St. Charles County Parks Department cancelled the Hawken Classic’s venue at the Historic Daniel Boone Home in Defiance, Missouri.

I don’t have a solid answer for you because the park refused to meet with us to even allow us to respond to their complaints. For this reason I have posted their complaints and our response to each for everyone to read.

It is very important to know that our volunteers and participants did nothing wrong and nothing warranting the cancelling of the event. It appears the park wanted to cancel the event before we held it this year and as you will see, made up a series of issues that they directly caused or contributed to to give them a reason to cancel the event.

Please take the time to read both the email and the list of issues along with our response.

St. Charles County Parks Cancels the Venue for the Hawken Classic - Gemmer Muzzleloading Gun Club

Sincerely,

Bob Vogt
Hawken Classic Committee

 

[Nazgul58]

Thanks for the info.

Don

 

[jdw276]

That is all of the issues? My my my.....state parks have worse behavior every weekend all year every park.

Also sounds a bit like the parks dept did not quite have all their ducks in a row as far as communication within their group. But I see no vandalism in their note? Taking apart something is not on the vadalism scale to me. Sorry, my interpertation.

Might send the parks dept a letter saying how great the event was the last two years and cannot wait for my family to be able to come back next year. Also thank them for the support the last two years.

 

[Patience2]

Hawken Classic Supporters,

Many of you have asked why the St. Charles County Parks Department cancelled the Hawken Classic’s venue at the Historic Daniel Boone Home in Defiance, Missouri.

I don’t have a solid answer for you because the park refused to meet with us to even allow us to respond to their complaints. For this reason I have posted their complaints and our response to each for everyone to read.

It is very important to know that our volunteers and participants did nothing wrong and nothing warranting the cancelling of the event. It appears the park wanted to cancel the event before we held it this year and as you will see, made up a series of issues that they directly caused or contributed to to give them a reason to cancel the event.

Please take the time to read both the email and the list of issues along with our response.

St. Charles County Parks Cancels the Venue for the Hawken Classic - Gemmer Muzzleloading Gun Club

Sincerely,

Bob Vogt
Hawken Classic Committee

How about Fort Des Chartres? I don’t know a lot about it personally but it isn’t very far down the ol’ Mississip from St Louis & the place has quite a history of liking the smell of burnt black powder and buckskin - even has a shooting range there they use for muskets and other BP guns (they have cannons too, but I don’t think they use the same range ) at their Spring rendezvous.

The Winter Rendezvous is only a few weeks away. It’d be a good time to check it out. The flyer says, “Soldiers, trappers, traders and Native Americans (as portrayed by historic re-enactors) will gather at the rendezvous. They’ll trade goods, buy supplies, and some will take part in a shooting contest that requires them to walk through the woods and fire flintlocks at pop-up targets.”

Here’s a couple links - hope you didn’t mind my butting in, just thought it might be an option that’s still fairly close to the St Louis/Hawken neighborhood and friendly to our interests.

General info
http://www.fortdechartres.us/
Winter Rendezvous
http://www.fortdechartres.us/fort-de-chartres-winter-rendezvous/
Spring 2023 Rendezvous
http://www.fortdechartres.us/fort-de-chartres-53nd-rendezvous-2023/

 

[rick1964]

Fort De charters is a great site. I love the place. I guess you could take the new official gun of Missouri to the state of Illinois. And everyone can thank St Charles county parks. Make a great write up. state of Illinois historic site less liberal than St Charles county Mo

 

[andy52]

Fort De charters is a great site. I love the place. I guess you could take the new official gun of Missouri to the state of Illinois. And everyone can thank St Charles county parks. Make a great write up. state of Illinois historic site less liberal than St Charles county Mo

Fort de Chartres is a great venue but they only allow flintlocks, so the Hawken would not be an acceptable rifle there.

 

[Patience2]

Fort de Chartres is a great venue but they only allow flintlocks, so the Hawken would not be an acceptable rifle there.

Well, that's a shame - I figured you guys had already checked it out but since I hadn't seen it mentioned figured it couldn't hurt to bring it up.
Then again, state controls it, politicians can get involved, it's Illinois. Might be able to get them to change their rules for a weekend. What kinda budget you got? (wink, wink...)

. . . just kidding!

. . . sorta . . .

 

[andy52]

Well, that's a shame - I figured you guys had already checked it out but since I hadn't seen it mentioned figured it couldn't hurt to bring it up.
Then again, state controls it, politicians can get involved, it's Illinois. Might be able to get them to change their rules for a weekend. What kinda budget you got? (wink, wink...)

. . . just kidding!

. . . sorta . . .

The reason for the flintlock only thing is due to the time frame that the Fort
existed. The fort was not in operation by the time the cap lock came into being.

 

[Patience2]

Understood and appreciate that, but it did still exist when the cap lock was in it's prime. Well, sorta anyway. Our local ancestors were probably down there hunting and defending themselves with their Hawkens and other cap locks while they were dismantling and carrying off pieces of the abandoned Fort to build their houses, barns and towns, so if you look at it from a different (albeit sorta warped) perspective it was still in existence and of great importance in the lives of those settling this area. I'd be willing to bet there are still pieces of the original fort living on in buildings and houses around Chester, Prairie du Rocher and that area.
Of course, I can't imagine that'd really be anything the folks who've done such a beautiful job of restoring and preserving it over the past 40-50+ years would want to celebrate.
Maybe history doesn't always tell a beautiful story... but Fort Des Chartres is a beautiful and unique place, it's story is awesome, it's restoration fantastic and even if it can't be the home of the Hawken event, for those who've never been there it'd be well worth a visit!

 

[andy52]

You are correct on the history of the Fort, here's some more info.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Canceling History a sliver at a time.

 

[springfield art]

They didn't want people getting the idea that they could bring a "gun" to a public park, or some other BS issue.

 

[anticus]

I used to do F&I renacting at the Fort long ago. Nice place, but there has to be a Missouri venue somewhere for Missouri’s rifle.

 

[Kentuckyjed]

Mentioned before. Fort Belfontaine in the St. Louis area had a rendezvous back in 2005 I believe they also had a shoot there as well. The Corps of Discovery reenactors also stopped by on their flatboat. Could this place be used instead?

 

[andy52]

Mentioned before. Fort Belfontaine in the St. Louis area had a rendezvous back in 2005 I believe they also had a shoot there as well. The Corps of Discovery reenactors also stopped by on their flatboat. Could this place be used instead?

I don't think Fort Bellefontaine has enough covered buildings to use for the demo purposes that they need for the lectures they give at the classic.
Sioux Passage Park is just up the road from there and Rendezvous was held there at one time, but you still have to deal with the St. Louis Parks Dept. and I'm not sure that would be any better.

 

[andy52]

There is one venue in St. Louis County that might work and fits pretty well into the time frame. It's still a County Parks dept. but would have the things they need for the classic.
I'm not sure about a shooting range though. I've been to a couple of rendezvous there years ago this would be Jefferson Barracks. Nice place and well maintained.

 

[Sam squanch]

It’s probably- #1, something with the ban on firearms ( concealed weapons) in public parks and “ childcare” areas the anti gun people enacted in St. Louis and the greater area, or, #2, it offends the yoga pants wearing, Starbucks sipping crowd that built their $500,000 country estates around that area. Oh yes, and those evil gun toters also wear……FUR!!!