1976 Exhibit Brochure
In 1826 American mountain men held a rendezvous at Cache Valley. During this time William H. Ashley sold out his company to Jedidiah S. Smith, William L. Sublette and David E. Jackson.
2023 Exhibit Guide
It was traditional for mountain men to meet for an annual rendezvous to trade beaver pelts, restock supplies, and share stories of their experiences traveling through the western mountains and prairies. Native Americans were also included in the rendezvous to barter for supplies. These annual meetings allowed trappers and explorers to roam the country freely the rest of the year since they were no longer tied to eastern outposts.
In the summer of 1826, the American mountain men held their rendezvous at Willow Valley, which was later renamed Cache Valley. This particular rendezvous was significant because it was the last for General William H. Ashley because he sold his company to Jedidiah S. Smith, William L. Sublette, and David E. Jackson.
Kaysville Area Connections
Trappers are known to have explored Davis County before the pioneers arrived. Upon arrival, the William Blood family found on the bottomlands where they settled remnants of “two rude huts, or partial dugouts1” with indications that they had belonged to white men.
Artist
Lee K. Parkinson (1913-2000)
Lee Parkinson, from Ogden, Utah, was an artist, teacher, and lecturer. He received his art education at The Art Institute of California in Los Angeles and at the Chicago Institute of Art. Parkinson became a set designer for Universal Studios before becoming a freelance commercial artist and art teacher in Utah for 30 years.
Heavily influenced by LeConte Stewart of Kaysville, Parkinson was particularly skilled in oil painting and wrote several books and guides on the medium. Parkinson was also instrumental in organizing the Art Colony in Utah.
Sources
- “Bicentennial Historical Art Collection.” 1976 Exhibition Brochure, Special Collections, Weber State University. Punctuation corrected.
- Eyes Toward the Past. DVD.
- Karras, Marilyn. “Unique Mountain Men Hunted Western Wilds.” The Ogden Standard Examiner, 4 July, 1976, Sun.
Citations
- “Bicentennial Historical Art Collection.” 1976 Exhibition Brochure, Special Collections, Weber State University. Punctuation corrected.
Notes
Copyright owned by Weber State University Storytelling Festival. All rights reserved. Painting shown by Kaysville – Fruit Heights Museum with permission. Painting number three in the 2023 exhibit guide.
