Like every first weekend in May for 44 years, the Yellowstone Flint and Cap Club celebrated its anniversary by reenacting Wisconsin’s rich culture as it was before 1840 with the use of tent lodges and tepees. The Bloody Lake Rendezvous took place at Black Hawk Memorial Park, located a few miles northwest of Woodford, Wisconsin.
Almost 200 years ago, in 1832, there was a battle between Kickapoo warriors and U.S. militia led by Henry Dodge along a bend of the Pecatonica River. The warriors were waiting in the water on the eastern bank of Bloody Lake, and when they revolted against the militia, Henry Dodge ordered his men to kill them. This encounter changed attitudes about the militia's abilities and made Henry Dodge a prominent figure in Wisconsin history. The battle was not the largest of the Black Hawk War, but was notable and often referred to as the Battle of Horseshoe Bend or the Battle of Bloody Lake.
The Bloody Lake Rendezvous is a living history event – a rendezvous or gathering of pre-1840 reenactors, including merchants, fur traders, pioneers and settlers. They gathered to enjoy the social aspects of being with like-minded people because the Western frontier was challenging and often isolating.
Image by Marian Viney.
As we walked through the encampment, we experienced the sights, sounds and smells of early Wisconsin – families cooking lunch over the campfire using cast-iron pans; black powder shooting – “take aim, fire”; tomahawk-throwing; children playing old-fashioned games; artisans displaying handcrafted copper vessels; and blacksmithing demonstrations.
There was a person playing a hurdy-gurdy. A what? Never heard of it. It's a string instrument that produces sound by a hand-turned crank, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound like a violin (or we thought like bagpipes). Melodies are played on a keyboard that presses tangents or small wedges, typically made of wood or metal against one or more of the strings to change the pitch. Like most acoustic stringed instruments, it has a sound board and a hollow cavity to make the vibration of the strings audible.
Rendezvous participants also placed blankets of wares for sale or trade including furs, beads, buttons, clothing and toys for children or for the young at heart.
This year, there were 384 adult participants and 48 kids, including 272 lodges, with 30 vendors or trader lodges. Participants traveled from as far as New Mexico, Colorado, Missouri, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa and Kansas.
Image by Marian Viney.
A friend who grew up in Wisconsin, but now lives in South Dakota, has traveled to the Bloody Lake Rendezvous for many years. While at the rendezvous, she catches up with family and friends and hones her trade – before beading became a trade, she said women would create colorful bags and other items with quills from porcupines. These women had short lifespans because of the toxic dye they took in from wetting the quills with their mouths, but they were highly regarded.
After 20 years of attending rendezvous throughout the country, she has many stories to tell. She also tans about 75 hides each year – a skill she learned from a fellow rendezvous participant – and makes primitive clothing and accessories with several pieces displayed in museums throughout the U.S. She also makes a variety of animal pelt hats – raccoon, fox, skunk, coyote and more.
The Yellowstone Flint and Cap Club also has a silent auction during the rendezvous to fund a scholarship given to an area student who plans to study wildlife ecology, forestry or other outdoor-related fields.
Evenings in the encampment are a special time and reserved for reenactors when the only lights are candle lanterns and campfires, with stories shared and retold, while music and laughter echo throughout the woods.
The Bloody Lake Rendezvous preserves history and is a … step back in time.
