Rendezvous-style trade show returns to New Ulm

Over 20 years old, show was first indoor event in the nation

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM--The New Ulm Trade Fair, commonly referred to as the Black Powder Trade Show, returned to Turner Hall Saturday for its 22nd, or perhaps 23rd, annual two-day run.

The show which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today features weapons, tools, clothing and what-have-you that was used or worn up to 1840 in this country.

Confusion as to its proper name and how many years it's been in existence is just another example of the whimsical personality of the "rendezvous" style frontier trade show that was the brainchild of Ron Botten, formerly of New Ulm and now living in Hudson, Wis.

You see, although Botten was the sole founder, he's not sure if it was in 1980 or 1981. And while everyone refers to it as a black powder show, it's not a black powder show in the sense that you can obtain actual black powder at the show. You can't because that would be illegal.

"The correct name for the show is the New Ulm Trade Fair," said Bruce Potter of New Ulm, the current "Booshway" of the Plainsmen of the Northern Star who put on the show. The organization numbers "about a dozen" members strong.

So, why do people refer to it as a black powder show?

"It's because you can get all the accouterments relating to using a black-powder gun except the powder itself," said Botten, who is one of the 70 "traders" operating the 85 display tables at this year's show.

It's also because the New Ulm show is an indoor version of the outdoor "rendezvous'" around the country that feature the same type of frontier accouterments. These shows are known as the "black powder" circuit.

"You can see that we take all of this seriously, and it's a very stressful situation," Potter said, with an impish smile.

When Botten reflects upon what he has wrought, his face dons a similar smile.

"It's their passion for finding authentic items from that era that keeps these buckskinners going," Botten acknowledged, "but they also like to drink beer."

It was after Botten had been bitten by the rendezvous bug that he started thinking about a way to bring the rendezvous indoors for an earlier start.

"I started with a $100 donated, and I went to Richard Runck (long-time manager of Turner Hall) to find out what he could do in using Turner Hall as the site for the show. I told him I wanted to hold this kind of show in Turner Hall, and that I wanted it to be where people could come Friday and never leave until they packed up and left on Sunday," Botten recalled.

He said that if Runck would let him use the hall for free and let the vendors sleep there, he would set up a dinner that Runck could charge for to make some money.

"And, of course, there was Turner Hall's bar, and I knew the buckskinners would be using that."

Runck agreed, and the first-ever indoor black powder show in the nation was born. There's another indoor show at Rochester that's in its fourth year, Botten said, and others across the country now.

The "traders" all dress in costumes of the period during the show, and a costume is required at the annual dinner. To this day, traders will sleep on the Turner Hall floor next to their displays.

Born and raised in Hanska, Botten, 66, ran the show for the first five years before moving to Hudson. Looking back on the show's history, he never really imagined that it would be as big as it is today.

"The key to it is that it's a social event as well as a trade show."