A little About Us and Our History

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Clint Livingston makes his home just a hundred yards from Blue Creek in western Nebraska, where he taught high school history and social studies. Now retired, Clint keeps busy making the rounds to visit grandchildren and operating his hobby-turned-business. He attends shows and rendezvous across the country and has created an old-fashioned trading post at home. In August 2016, he married his wife, Peg, who was born and raised in western Massachusetts and made her way across the states to be with family after the loss of her husband. They found a true bond through their losses and a new beginning started for both of them. You will always hear her friendly voice on the phone when you call or a smile when you enter their trade tent at rendezvous and shows. Please stop by to visit at any time!

In Loving Memory

Hazel (Dykes) Livingston / 1950 – 2015

Loving wife, mother, sister, friend – Hazel’s kind and loving spirit will be ever present in our lives and memory.

“Those we love don’t go away – they walk beside us every day. Unseen, unheard, but always near. Still loved, still missed and very dear.” (Author Unknown)

Artist & Designer

Susan Christiancy does the sewing, beading, and painting for Blue Creek Traders. With an eye for design and attention to historical details, she turns Clint’s furs and hides into custom-sewn hats, garments, and more.

Doll-making is one of Susan’s many talents. Beginning with raw clay and bits of fabric, she creates intricate museum-quality dolls that oftentimes represent historical figures. Susan studied art at the University of Nebraska.

Fellow Trader & Partner

JR Stotts of Teaspoon Traders is originally from Roy, Utah. He attended his first rendezvous (Fort Buenaventura) in Ogden, Utah in 1996. He went on to create his own successful trade company in the Spring of 1997.  We met JR and his wife, Sandy in 2017, and a seed of friendship was planted. The start of a global pandemic in April 2020 allowed both trade companies to learn from and help each other through some challenging times. JR is learning every aspect of the tanning trade, and he is incorporating his beading skills and creativity into his trade goods. Blue Creek Traders is benefiting from his hard work and dedication. We are blessed to have him join us not only as a partner but a true friend! You can find Teaspoon Traders on Facebook.

Blue Creek and the Battle of Blue Water

Blue Creek, a tributary of the North Platte River, meanders through Garden County in western Nebraska. It’s a shallow stream with a rich history. In fact, the great Oglala Sioux warrior Chief Red Cloud was born near Blue Creek in 1821.

On September 3, 1855, the U.S. Army, led by Col. William S. Harney, conducted the first military campaign against the Sioux. The maneuver, which avenged the annihilation of Lt. John Grattan’s command near Fort Laramie in 1854, destroyed Chief Little Thunder’s Lakota village on Blue Creek and came to be known as the Battle of Blue Water. (The battle is also called the Harney Massacre and sometimes the Battle of Ash Hollow after the nearby landmark). While the attack succeeded in keeping the Oregon Trail open for emigrants, it merely postponed further wars between the two nations fighting for control of the Great Plains.