Historic Skills Fair and Mountain Man Encampment...

We spent Father's Day in the most idyllic setting with the most perfect activities offered for all.

The Coeur d’Alene’s Old Mission State Park, in Cataldo, spotlights the oldest building in Idaho. The Mission of the Sacred Heart was constructed between 1850 and 1853 by Catholic missionaries and members of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Sacred Heart Mission and the Coeur d’Alene’s Old Mission State Park provide an educational experience not found anywhere else, giving visitors an opportunity to examine the dynamics and complexities between Jesuit missionaries and the tribal people among whom they settled in a beautiful park setting. The park features the Sacred Heart Mission church, a restored Parish House and a historic cemetery.
In 1842, Catholic missionaries reached Idaho. Father Pierre Jean DeSmet traveled through the territory along with several other Jesuit priests (Black Robes). On his way back to St. Mary’s mission in Montana he encountered some Coeur d’Alene families, who traveled with him from there. After receiving some religious instruction and baptisms they invited the Father to visit the tribe. Soon after, some Coeur d’Alenes arrived at St. Mary’s Mission to request instruction. DeSmet then joined the tribe at Lake Coeur d’Alene where he was greeted with an enthusiasm often attributed to a century-old prophesy by Circling Raven that black robed men would someday assist the tribe.

After a move to higher ground, and different leadership, in 1845, the “Golden Age” of the Sacred Heart Mission began. In 1850, a highly-educated priest named Antonio Ravalli arrived at the mission and began work on a grand 90 foot by 40 foot Mediterranean-classical church with a high cathedral ceiling. Ravalli’s design was constructed by converted Indians using the few simple tools on hand, fastening the wooden beams with pegs due to the unavailability of nails, and filling out walls with a mixture of grass, straw, and mud.

By 1853, the Mission building was completed and the skills of Ravalli were utilized to create intricate interior artwork that was carved and formed out of simple materials that were available in the area. Wallpaper was simply painted newspaper, while lighting was fashioned out of empty tin cans. The beautiful blue ceiling was colored with huckleberry juice. It was beautiful in its simplicity.





The reason for our visit on this day was the Historic Skills Fair and Mountain Man Encampment.
We were sold with this description, "Fans of dime store Western novels and those who want to try their hands at living like such men as Jim Bridger, Kit Carson or John Colter won't want to miss this educational event."
This Encampment is one of many ways the park helps people comprehend what life was like all those years ago when the mission was active and Cataldo was one of the most vital and traversed areas in Idaho.

The fair event showcased the skills people used during the early mission years (1840 through 1920), including flint knapping; diverse techniques used to build the mission, such as wattle and daub; and different clothes, food and other basic necessities that were either handmade or gathered.




I enjoyed meeting Scout, the Idaho Park's mascot, a red fox native to the state.

Besides incredible history lessons, fantastic demonstrations, and hands-on activities, we even got to see a moose... a true highlight. Happy Father's Day, indeed!

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