19th Annual Dog Hollow Rendezvous Brings The Past To Life

Mark Hoffman of Burlington enjoys the 19th Annual Dog Hollow Rendezvous with his wife

Oskaloosa, Iowa – Caldwell Park, just East of Oskaloosa right off Highway 92, played host once again to the Timberwolves “Dog Hollow Rendezvous”.

With the setting being of 1840, participants attempt to recreate what it was like to live in that time period.This years scheduled events included: Hawk & Knife Throw for kids, men, and women, a Skillet Toss & Rolling Pin Throw for the women, a Candy Canon, Bow Shoot, and Bean Bag Toss. An outdoor church service was set for 9:00 a.m. Sunday, August 8th.

I asked Burlington native Mark Hoffman what brought him to want to participate in the rendezvous. He responded, “I enjoy history. I’ve learned more history doing this, than I ever did in school. It taught me to go out and find out some of this information on my own.”

I wanted to know if he would like to live like this, or if it was just a fun weekend thing to do. “I think I could.” Hoffman said. He went on to explain about a gentleman he is aware of that came home from Vietnam. Once home, he found he didn’t like how everyone was treating him “So, he walked up into the mountains in Northern Arizona; built himself a log shanty.” Hoffman, said that this modern day mountain man makes his own clothes and fends for himself every day now.

Timberwolves leader Jim Walker stated, “What we want to do is teach the public and Mahaska County what living history is, and we’re here at Caldwell Park because Caldwell is history itself in Mahaska County.”

These two young friends enjoy their time at Dog Hollow held over the weekend at Caldwell Park, Oskaloosa

Not being familiar with the history of the park, Walker explained to me the significance of the park. “Calwell Park use to belong to a man and wife. In the depression era [they] used their farm as a garden area for the city. They would have people from the city come out, and where we are standing today would be lots for gardens, because there was no food. She broke up this hay field into lots and they had gardens. They would come out, tend their garden, and then use the big barn that is behind me to have barn dances after they would tend their gardens. The Caldwells were gracious enough in their will that they wanted this place to be a park for the people, and she donated it to Mahaska County. We’re trying to promote it and Native American history and the frontier because history’s very important.”

Walker, who helped to start the Timberwolves nearly 20 years ago with 3 others, is the last remaining member from its start in those earliest days in Ottumwa. “There was 4 of us when we were Scout Masters and we basically went with bigger boys and bigger toys.” Walker says, and after those earliest days, it’s become a hobby. “Basically we are a group of people who love and want living history.”

I asked Walker about what a real mountain man rendezvous would have been like. “What you see here today is a family camp type rendezvous. Back in the 1840’s rendezvous was where the mountain man would come down after his trapping season and would trade for his whiskey, his gun powder, his sugar, and they would fight and carry on and have competitions and it wasn’t a nice thing. What we try to do is portray that rendezvous as a nice thing and let them know it wasn’t just all bad; there was family people too.”

You can visit the Timberwolves on their webpage HERE or also on Facebook HERE for more information.

Editors note: Walker informed me shortly after I published this that the group did master the storm on Saturday night, with only 4 of the lodges being knocked down, and a few torn awnings. But Sunday morning, they were all set back up and the group continued on.

He also said they had a visitor from London, who is a blacksmith that made them some iron feathers.