White Oak Learning Centre & White Oak Fur Post
Deer River, MN 56636 (218) 246-9393
| White Oak Society White Oak Learning Centre & White Oak Fur Post Deer River, MN 56636 (218) 246-9393 |
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 A Brief Look at White Oak Fur Post and Rendezvous
The White Oak Fur Rendezvous is looking forward to its 19th Year!Rendezvous is held each summer at the first FULL weekend of August. The fur post will be open to the general public on August 3, 4, 5, 2007.White Oak Rendezvous draws more than 3,000 visitors each year in Northern Minnesota. There are displays, demonstrations, music, food, Trader's Row and camping facilities for overnight stays. Family camp for participants starts one week prior to Rendezvous, on Monday July 30, 2007. and is a great vacation experience. If you have an interest in history and enjoy the company of others with like interests, Rendezvous Reenactment and Participation is a great avenue to explore! Quick Notes for 2007! MN author, historian, researcher & retired College Prof, Jim Reiley, is guest speaker at the Thursday Period Formal Banquet. He will also spend the day Friday at the Founder's Tent from 11 - 1 sharing his Triology of fictional Fur Trade stories, Soft Gold, Hard Gold, and Fool's Gold. You will be able to purchase signed books on site. MN author, historian, researcher & retired College Prof, Larry Luukkonen, will be visiting at the Founder's Tent 11 - 1 on Saturday of the Rendezvous. His brand new book will be out just in time to purchase signed copies on site. He too, loves MN history, and especially so, the Fur Trade Era and the waterways that make MN so important to the history of our nation, whatever the time period!His new book is titled, Between the Waters . . . .tracing the northwest trail from Lake superior to the Mississippi. We tried hard to have a Deer River young lady, Jamie Ogle, share her first published history novel taking place on the east coast during the first years the Pilgrims escaped to our country in search of religious freedom. Her book can be purchased at the Northern Star Cenex Gas Station on Hwy 2 on the west end of town. It is titled, "Plymouth: A Light Enkindled". She would have loved to be at Rendezvous this year, but had another commitment for book signings in Iowa. On Sunday, after the Community Worship Service 10 - 11 a.m., on stage, led by Pastor Tom Stanton from the Otenagen chapel in rural Deer River. Also volunteering their talent offering wonderful music is a group from Grand Rapids, MN called "Psalm 150". Everyone is welcomed to gather under the big tent as we begin our last day of this year's Rendezvous! Another big surprise visit on Sunday at the Founder's Tent from 11 - 1 will be artist and illustrator of children's Fur Trade Books, Dave Geistler. He will be actually demonstrating his drawing and painting of work in progress! The Battle of Bunker Hill, June 17, 1775, will be told about by Grant Loy, a history enthusiast of many periods of our nation's history, but this year he will be dressed as a militia member at the Founder's Tent from 3 - 4 p.m. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday! A local Deer River young lady, Lydia Hellmann,who plays and sings not only favorite compositions, but also her own compositions, accompanied by herself on accoustic guitar. She will be volunteering to entertain on the main stage and the Founder's Tent, so be sure you look at the schedule by each stage. She is truly amazing! |
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Rendezvous was a very important time to the people of the fur trade. It was a time of celebration when partners brought in trade goods and supplies from back east to meet with the wintering partners and voyageurs bringing out a year's catch of furs. This was a great gathering of people from different social standing, cultures, and ethnicity. It's now a time for us to celebrate the lives of those who gave us our rich history and learn a little of the Great Lakes region's early history. We can enjoy all the sounds, smells, tastes and feelings of the Eighteenth Century. Come join us for the fun! A Great Family Vacation and Learning Experience
History of White Oak The idea for White Oak Fur Post and Rendezvous began a number of years ago with Ray Nyberg and Chuck Ogee, both living north of Deer River. Ray was the President of the Chamber of Commerce, and became interested in blackpowder as he heard Chuck practice shootiong in the fields nearby. They became close friends as they shared their dreams of what might be possible in this northern Minnesota region, so intertwined with history of the fur trade and all the areas that are related. They felt a place was needed for history enthusiasts, and were sent to meet Perry Vining, of Albert Lea, who had organized rendezvous' in Minnesota and South Dakota. A nonprofit organization named the White Oak Society soon formed! A grant from the Blandin Foundation covered the cost of a feasibility study. The study showed us that there was enough tourist traffic to the area to support a fur post reconstruction. The city of Deer River donated 80 acres of land north of the city and with continuing support from the Blandin Foundation, the Society soon started construction. By 2005, White Oak Society, Inc. is proud to have grown to three major events in a year - the well-known August Rendezvous the first full weekend in August when we'll be celebrating our 18th Year, the May History School Days Program, and now in January, a very unique Minnesota Winter Event called "The White Oak Sled Dog Classic! We are self-sustaining, and must pay all the site and building bills and maintenance ourselves, with everyone volunteering! We scurry every month to keep our fundraisers going, in order to keep the doors open and events for the community! We welcome new members and are a very personable group of local folks to work with, all sharing a common goal. We depend on memberships, volunteers, and donations of time and funding to keep us going. We are a nonprofit learning center with a wonderful site and facility that can be rented for your personal needs. Call us for information on how you can get involved or use our site too. Our office number is 218 - 246- 9393. Contact us for more information about the White Oak Fur Post and Rendezvous. Information also available on the Workshop and Entertainment page and/or Rendezvous FAQ. |
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Explore with us the daily lives of those who lived in 1798. The excitement of Rendezvous is in the greeting of old friends and in the meeting of new ones. All share in the enjoyment of living and the bounty of summer. Its a time to learn a new skill from your neighbor, tell your story and hear another's, talk about the newest fashions in England, and enjoy the flavors of foods almost forgotten. The sound of music and dance are enjoyed. Competition to prove your skill at shooting, hawk throwing or a game of chance adds to the festivities. After the hardships of winter and the isolation of the wilderness everyone is in high spirits. Now is the time to shop for all your supplies and possibly receive the material ordered last year or the clothing ordered from a tailor in Montreal. There is much business to be discussed, and politics to debate. The smoke of the campfires carries with it the cultures of the people who gather around each. The diversity of the people who gather here is great and the strength of each a lesson to us all
One of the purposes of Rendezvous and all the activities sponsored by the White Oak Society is to educate visitors not only about the lifestyle of the fur trading era (late 1600's to mid-1800's) but also showcases its difficulties and challenges. For example, the French voyageurs were a vital part of the fur trade. They often carried two 90-pound packs over a portage , and faced the danger of dying from hernias or drowning. The cold of the winters and great amounts of snow proved to be a great hardship for many with food becoming scarce and the gathering of enough wood for fuel almost impossible. The Native Americans were of great importance to the trade as they provided the furs and also much of the staple foods needed for the outposts survival,and in turn, gained tools and cloth that improved their daily living. The English brought to the interior an international trade of goods and with it the beginning exploration of the wilderness,with both, positive and negative consequences.