Fort Washita hosted its annual School Days at the Rendezvous event Thursday April 4 and Friday April 5. Approximately 20 schools brought children to learn about the trading rendezvous in the 1800s.
Site Manager Jim Argo said there was a low turnout this year but everybody still had fun. Argo said that the cold weather had a lot to do with the turnout of the number of campers and merchants.
Children from area schools still had numerous shops and demonstrations to enjoy. Children learned about activities such as trapping, trade, woodwork, blacksmithing and even laundry in the 1800s.
Even with a low turnout, the event had its share of excitement. Friday afternoon a wedding was performed at the fort.
John and Kathleen McDonald were married at Fort Washita Friday by a rendezvous affiliate. This was the couple’s first year to attend the rendezvous.
The couple has family that attends the rendezvous every year and wanted to be married with their family around.
They asked to be married at the rendezvous, and was told as long as they had the marriage license, it was alright.
The couple celebrated with cake and punch at their family’s campsite at Fort Washita. The annual Mountain Man Competition was pushed from Friday to Saturday to accommodate contestants who could not make it to the fort by Friday.
The competition consists of a series of tasks commonly performed by mountain men of the era such as bullet molding fire starting and on the spot woodwork.
Fort Washita Rendezvous end this weekend on Sunday evening. Admission costs $5 at the gate. For more information about the event contact the fort at (580) 924-6502.
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