Fort Connah Historical Society

06/13/2026

06/13/2026

The 43rd Annual Rendezvous is only 5 days away! Today we are featuring presenter, Thomas Brown!

Thomas has been blacksmithing and blade smithing for over 43 years. At Fort Union he has been demonstrating and teaching blacksmithing for more than 15 years. Blacksmithing was one of the first and most important trades at the fort. All other craftsmen and trades people depended on blacksmiths to purchase and repair tools, wagons, boats, and daily use items.

Thomas and his apprentices will be demonstrating basic blacksmithing tools, techniques, and ornamental twists for handle-works, amongst other things. Enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells of our working blacksmith shop while immersing yourself in the history of Fort Union.

Curious to know more? Visit: https://go.nps.gov/rondy2026

Rendezvous is taking place Thursday June 18 through Sunday June 21. Demonstrations run daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Demonstrations will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. The park is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. All times are Central Daylight Time (CDT).

Photo Description: Man in blacksmith shop presenting information

Photo provided by: Thomas Brown

06/12/2026

Join us July 10–12 for the inaugural Blacktail Mountain Archery Festival at Blacktail Mountain!

We're excited to announce that Rinehart Targets has signed on as the event's Summit Sponsor. Every archer will spend the weekend shooting premium Rinehart targets across all three mountain courses.

Experience three days of archery, adventure, and community featuring:

🏹 Three mountain 3D archery courses
🏹 Lift-assisted access and summit-start terrain
🏹 Vendor Village
🏹 Camping on the mountain
🏹 Beer gardens
🏹 The Summit Shoot-Out competition

This event is built for archers of all skill levels. REGISTRATION IS OPENING SOON!

Mountain Terrain. Summit Views. Unforgettable Shots.

Thank you to Rinehart Targets for helping us launch this new Blacktail tradition.

06/09/2026

🐎🇺🇸 The Pony Rides Again! 🇺🇸🐎

Join us as we celebrate America 250 and welcome the National Pony Express Association's Annual Re-Ride to Fallon!

For more than 40 years, Pony Express riders have recreated the legendary mail route across 1,966 miles and eight states, carrying real mail in a traditional mochila just as riders did in 1860. This exciting living-history event brings the spirit of the Old West to life for all ages!

📍 Oats Park, Fallon
📅 Saturday, June 20
⏰ 3:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Bring the whole family and enjoy:
📸 Photo Booth
🐴 Stick Pony Mochila Handoff Relay Races
🎲 1800s-Era Games & Prizes
⛏️ Pan for Gold
⭐ Get Deputized & Help Find Fallon’s Most Wanted
🌮 Food Trucks Available for Purchase

Plus, keep the celebration going with:
🎂 Fallon Cake Picnic at 5:00 p.m. (sign up at www.fallonnevada.gov)
🎶 FREE Concert featuring Micky and the Motorcars at 7:30 p.m.

Come celebrate our nation's 250th birthday, experience a piece of American history, and enjoy a fun-filled afternoon with family, friends, and neighbors.

06/09/2026

In 1935, Ruth Keller settled in the snowy foothills of Montana’s Absaroka Range after losing her job with a large Chicago fur company during the Great Depression. For nearly twenty years she had worked as a fur buyer across the northern Rockies, but when the company dismissed its women employees to cut costs, Ruth chose to start over on her own. Using her final paycheck, she purchased 280 rugged acres in Carbon County where she could continue trapping while carefully observing the region’s wildlife populations.
She built a small log cabin with a skinning shed behind it and spent her days walking trap lines through deep snow before sunrise. Ruth stretched and prepared pelts by hand, recording every catch in a worn ledger filled with notes about animal numbers, migration patterns, and changing conditions in the mountains. She wore thick wool clothing against the bitter cold and carried steel traps, a skinning knife, and an old Wi******er rifle for protection from wolves that sometimes shadowed her trails in winter.
During the harsh winter of 1936, a game warden arrived on snowshoes carrying papers accusing her of trapping without the proper commercial license. Rather than argue, Ruth invited him inside her cabin, spread out her carefully kept records, and explained how wildlife numbers had been steadily declining in certain areas. As she worked quietly at her table preparing a fresh marten pelt, the warden studied her detailed counts and observations. He eventually left without enforcing the shutdown order and later used her records to support shorter trapping seasons across the state.
Over the years, Ruth’s careful recordkeeping helped draw attention to the need for protecting Montana’s remaining beaver populations and other fur-bearing animals. She continued trapping, studying the wilderness, and writing thoughtful letters about conservation well into the 1970s, earning quiet respect from those who understood the value of her work.

06/05/2026

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