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Post by intothewest1836 on Jun 18, 2011 23:10:05 GMT -5
been reading washigton irvin cast iron forest . it says there was trade here in oklahoma and louisisana long before white peoples. what was traded?
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Post by beaudro on Jun 19, 2011 1:50:33 GMT -5
Early in the 1700's when France owned this there was a few explorations and trading camps. Ferdinandina is one there is much talk about lately. An archaeology project has been going on for a while in NewKirk on the Arkansas River, and pretty much the same goods are brought in for trade as any place. Textiles, kettles (brass), axes, hoes, etc. The French brought in goods from all over the world, not just "made in France", English made goods are found. The goods were traded for fur, with various tribes but the Osage Indians made it hard to stay in business. Basically, the explorers discovered that buffalo would make the big bucks. They began bringing in trade goods and taking in return huge amounts of buffalo. Dried meat, tongue, skins, and buffalo tallow and oil was loaded up and sent down the Arkansas, making it's way to the Mississippi and finally to port in New Orleans. Just like any fur trade system in our history, it starts with a natural resource, then an Indian, then trading companies are started. By the time the skins reach their final destination they went through maybe 10 to 20 people. Same goes for the goods coming into the country. It made a living for a bunch of people, but the amount of skins are amazing, thousand of pounds were shipped out each day in New Orleans.
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Post by intothewest1836 on Jun 19, 2011 3:27:55 GMT -5
what was the oil for and how was it carryed?
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Post by ThunderMoon on Jun 19, 2011 15:18:01 GMT -5
Probably shipped in cooler weather in wooden boxes or barrels,like the did butter,old wooden butter mold type stuff.Just a guess~~
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Post by beaudro on Jun 20, 2011 15:14:30 GMT -5
Hey Joe, Oil of any kind had a value somewhere. The many big industries in Europe and the budding industries here were demanding oil for lubrication in machines, think water powered grist mills and water powered bellows, etc, etc. Thats one small amount , the making of paint, medicines, and much more. Bear oil was sold to England and shipped right back as hair pomade. Tanneries used a substantial amount of oil (fish oil). It would be a blessing to find something that actually says what the buffalo oil was for, unless it's pure tallow it's not for eating as any other oil went rancid. Much of this may have went to industrial. To transport oil, in large quanities is another guess, but a keg or barrel was the preferred container as it could be rolled off the steamboats and ships. It did not matter as to season or weather , it took as long as 12 months to get this gathered up, sent down river, and finally to port, at New Orleans it sit and waited for a ship. The journals do not list a cooper making barrels at these forts, but it's possible there was. It's also possible they were utilizing used barrels that came with the parties. Small amounts of oil , like the petroleum oil mentioned in Sublettes journal , they took basically a vial sample of it , and nothing shows that party taking much more. Other small amounts were traded by Natives, carried in organ vessels such as the bladder. I can't see these working very since they would bust open somewhere along the miles back to the ship. In the Cast Iron Forest, the Ferdinandina was meant to be a large set up. Huge amounts of hides, oil and grease were taking back. It would not have been profitable to just take a small amount, everything points to a keg or barrel but nothing clearly shows it.... yet.
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