History, in person

A fur trader and his wife, a Potowatamie hunter and a traveling land agent will help bring the 18th century to life this weekend at the McHenry County Conservation District's Trail of History.

The popular two-day living history event gives visitors a chance to see, hear, touch and taste life in the Northwest Territory between 1670 and 1850.

Costumed volunteers and historical re-enactors camped beside a trail demonstrate such skills as blacksmithing and open-fire cooking.

Within the Trail of History there will also be a military reenactment, a traveling medicine show, musicians, folk dancers and more. Souvenirs and authentic frontier food will be for sale at the event.

The Trail of History runs Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Glacial Park, 6316 Harts Road, seven miles north of McHenry off Route 31, in Ringwood.

Admission is $6 for adults, $2 for children 6 to 12 and seniors, 60 and older. Children 5 and younger are admitted free. Entrance gates close at 3:30 p.m. to allow guests time to walk the trail. Special-needs parking is available and pets are not allowed.

Now in its 19th year, Trail of History strives to present frontier life as authentically as possible. Chuck Williams of Arlington Heights, one of the founders of the Trail of History, said that all re-enactors submit descriptions of their historical persona and camp, and a photo of themselves in historical attire, to a selection committee, which chooses the re-enactors each year.

Some historical figures are created by the re-enactors; others are based on stories of real people, including re-enactors' ancestors. For the sake of authenticity, many re-enactors portray someone 10 years younger than themselves.

"They lived a very rough life and they aged much faster than we do," said re-enactor Mike Rogge of Delavan, Wisconsin.

The fur traders

Mike Rogge portrays French-Canadian fur trader Michele Delarogge, and his wife Pat portrays Delarogge's wife, Patrice. The historical couple lives in the year 1771 at a trading post along the Des Plaines River.

"I am 50 years old," says Patrice, "which is unusual because it is a hard life, but my husband's men are good hunters and provide us with plenty of meat. Being on our own, away from the village, has also helped us avoid diseases. We grow lots of vegetables; beans, corn and squash. Much of what we learned about growing food here, we learned from the Indians.

Since my husband is a fur trader, we're on very good terms with them. We had 13 children, but only six have survived. My oldest son is back east, he prefers not to be on the frontier with us, but wanted an easier life for his family.

"I was born in Canada and have spent my life in North America. Unlike many women, I was educated and can read and write. This has been a help to my husband. Since he is gone a lot, I can help with his business and make sure he is not cheated.

"Since my husband is a trader and travels, I suspect he has other companions. Especially because he is French and the French are very concerned with matters of the heart.

"I know I am his favorite, though. I have first choice of all the goods he imports from Europe, so there is always fabric for a new jacket or chemise. But we don't use a lot of these things. It is much more important for us to sell them so we can survive."

Mike Rogge, speaking as Michele Delarogge, adds, "I am also from Canada and have come south to trade. I trade for furs that are available all around this area, for goods that originated in Europe such as knives, axes, pots and pans, needles for sewing and jewelry made of fine silver. The Indians have no metal of their own, only copper, so the iron and steel are a big advantage for them.

"Right now, we trade mostly for beaver pelts to use for beaver hats, which are very fashionable in Europe. These hats are very expensive and durable and are passed down through families.

My family and I have established a trading post on the Des Plaines River. My wife and I had 13 children.

"The Indians took one of our daughters. We found her scalp so she may still be alive. It is possible to live without a scalp. I know, because I have done so for many years. It happened when I was 18 and I met some unfriendly natives from the east. They took my furs and my scalp. But it doesn't bleed much. I have to stay out of the sun and make sure I wear a hat."

A Potowatamie hunter

The arrival of white Europeans has brought a great deal of change to the frontier. To Redhawk, a Potowatamie hunter from northern Wisconsin, portrayed by Sal Camacho of Elgin, the convenience of the European goods found at Delarogge's post comes at a high price.

"I do not have an age, because that is something that is not important to us," explains Camacho, speaking as Redhawk.

"Our people were forced from our land in Michigan by the Iroquois, but the Creator taught us to make canoes, so the Potowatamie were able to escape and form a stockade village in Wisconsin. From there, we moved south, down into Illinois. The land here is beautiful, lots of rolling hills and the game is abundant.

"I have come to do some trading and stock up for the winter. I want to trade for cast iron pots. If I have those, I can show I am a good provider and get a new wife. We take care of our women. A man can go about in poor clothing, but it is important for our women to have the best.

"The problem with trading with le Français is we have become dependent on their goods. Our knives are no longer flint. Our pots are iron, not clay. Their goods make our lives easier, but at what cost? Some say it's for the better, but the elders are not so sure. If we do not wear clothes in the summer because it is too hot, they tell us it is not a proper way to be. This is how our grandfathers lived for thousands of years, and now they tell us it is not proper? Before, we never saw white men, but now they live among us."

A land agent

Forty-year-old Charles Walker, a Scottish land agent, portrayed by Chuck Williams, must strike a careful balance between the interests of the wealthy Easterners who employ him and the local natives, as he travels through the frontier.

"I'm a land agent -- someone hired by monied investors who buy land here -- but have no intention of settling on it. It's my job to survey the land, write descriptions of the land, its resources, flora and fauna and make recommendations to them about what portions to keep or sell.

"I also have to make sure there are no squatters on the land, so I need to have the cooperation of the local government, the sheriff or the army, anyone with any legal authority.

"I have a certain status and connections up and down the spectrum. In England, I was an indentured servant, but after that, I came to America as a scout in the French and Indian War. In Scotland, we had public education, so I can read, write and do sums.

"The natives seem wary of me because I'm a harbinger of settlement. I have to make friends with the chiefs and try to put them at ease. Being a Scotsman, I understand them better than the English do. We Scots have a clan system and so do the natives.

"I've found that you can either bribe them or treat them fairly in trade by giving them a little more than what things are worth. Sometimes they offer their daughters in marriage.

"I have no permanent home, but travel through the territory. The land is beautiful, with rich soil and many possibilities for farming. I would like to one day own some, but right now, my first loyalty is to my owners."

For more information on the Trail of History, visit www.MCCDistrict.org, or call (815) 338-6223.

If you go

What: The Trail of History

When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Entrance gates close at 3:30 p.m.

Where: Glacial Park, 6316 Harts Road, Ringwood; seven miles north of McHenry off Route 31

How much? $6 for adults, $2 for children ages 6 to 12 and seniors ages 60 and older. Children 5 and younger are admitted free.

Info: www.mccdistrict.org