River Junction Trade Company was founded in 1973, making it the oldest company of its kind still in business today.  We produce 19th century dry goods with a strong emphasis on the Old West.  In 2013 we will be celebrating our 40th year of servicing the historic, re-enactment industry with our 19th century dry goods business.  Linda and I and our great sales team look forward to many, many more great years to be had in this business.

Other businesses recently have come on the scene and have directly copied many of our items, but we remain the most complete catalog of its kind today.  Due to the fact that we design and produce most of our period-correct items ourselves, we are able to offer many custom features not offered by others.  Our quality, price, selection, and authenticity are second to none.

My entire adult life has been -- and still is -- spent in research that has proven out in the many authentic items we produce, or in the daily phone conversations I have with customers and friends. This business is my hobby, my lifestyle and my only business.  Therefore, I do give it -- and you -- my complete attention.

I would enjoy having you stop in my store to visit with me if you ever get this way.  I operate my business and live in historic McGregor, Iowa, a beautiful hilly area that has a lot of interesting local and early state and national history behind it.  Also known as the "Pocket City", McGregor is nestled in between river bluffs and deep gorges on the left bank of the Mississippi River across from beautiful, historic Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin.

Surrounded by high bluffs, hills, and rivers of the Driftless Area Wildlife Refuge, bald eagles abound along the 261-mile Upper Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Refuge, whose headquarters and educational fish and wildlife displays are located right in McGregor.  McGregor is within minutes of the all-around best camping, recreational areas, and trout fishing in the Yellow River State Forest.   Effigy Mounds National Monument contains Indian Burial sites with mounds in the shapes of animals.  Pikes Peak State Park has its scenic camping areas on the ridge tops, hiking and biking nature trails, and Indian Burial mounds besides walking paths.  While not quite as high as the more-famous peak in Colorado, "Pikes Peak" in McGregor, Iowa is the first peak Lt. Zebulon Pike claimed when he scouted for the U. S. Army securing fort locations in the early 19th century following the Louisiana Purchase.

From Pikes Peak, you can see across the Mississippi River to the mouth of the Wisconsin River.  This confluence point is exactly where Marquette's and Joliet's canoes traveled down the Voyageur's Highway and entered the Mississippi River in 1673, making them the first Europeans to set foot on land this far west in the "Far West".  And also it is the specific "river junction" for which I named my business in 1973, exactly 300 years after this confluence was discovered.

The town of McGregor has many well-preserved mid-to-late 19th and early-20th century buildings, beautiful scenery, and friendly people.  It attracts many people all year long, but the most colorful time of year is in the fall when the hills are ablaze with color.  All seasons are special though.  There are 20 antique and specialty shops and restaurants in the area that are open in the Spring, summer and fall, with the same number of quaint B&Bs and lodging locations open all year long, including McGregor's Landing B&B and Event Center.

River Junction Trade Co. is open all year 'round from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (CT), Monday through Saturday.  If you do decide to come and visit my store, it is a good idea to call first so I can put another log in my ol' round oak stove.  We can sit by its warmth and jaw about the Old West.  Until then I wish you well.

Adios Compadres,

Jim

Proprietors: Jim and Linda Boeke

Over the years, River Junction products have appeared in a number of motion pictures and stage productions.  Please call us if you want to know, if available, the specific items used in these productions:

MOVIES:

- 2013 - "The Lone Ranger" - Starring Armon Hammer, Johnny Depp,  Helena Bonham Carter

- 2012 - "D'jango Unchained" - Starring Jamie Foxx, Leonardo Dicaprio

- 2011 to 2012 "Hell On Wheels" (AMC Cable Series, Seasons 1 & 2) - Starring Anson Mount

- 2010 - "True Grit"(Nominated for 10 Academy Awards) - Starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon, Hailee Steinfeld, Josh Brolin, Barry Pepper

- 2009 - "Wild Michigan" - Starring D. J. Perry, Rance Howard

- 2009 - "The Light Keepers" - Starring Richard Dreyfuss

- 2009 - "The Lightening Thief" (by Percy Jackson-Fox Films) - Starring Logan Lerman

- 2008 - "Dean Teaster's Ghost Town" - Starring Herbert "Cowboy" Coward, Bill McKinney, D. J. Perry

- 2008 - "Public Enemies" - Starring Johnny Depp

- 2007 - "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee" (HBO Epic Movie Event) - Starring Aidan Quinn, Anna Pacquin, August Schellenberg

- 2007 - "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford" - Starring Brad Pitt

- 2006 - "3:10 to Yuma" - Starring Russel Crowe, Christian Bale

- 2008 - "Comanche Moon" (Prequel to Lonesome Dove) - Starring Val Kilmer 

- 2005 - "Seraphim Falls" - Starring Pierce Brosnan, Liam Neeson, Anjelica Huston

- 2005 - "Deadwood" (HBO Cable Series) - Starring Ian McShane, Timothy Olyphant, Molly Parker, Powers Boothe

- 2005 - "Into the West" (Nominated for Golden Globe) - Starring Matthew Settle, Josh Brolin, Gary Busey

- 2005 - "Little House on the Prairie" (movie) - Starring Kyle Chavarria, Cameron Bancroft, Erin Cottrel

- 2003 - "Sea Biscuit" - Starring Jeff Bridges

- 2003 - "The Alamo" - Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Dennis Quaid, Jason Patric

- 2003 - "The Missing" - Starring Tommy Lee Jones, Cate Blanchett, Evan Rachel Wood, Aaron Eckhart, Val Kilmer

- 2003 - "Dreamkeeper" (Won Prime-time Emmy) - Starring Victoria Aberdeen

- 2003 - "Monte Walsh" - Starring Tom Selleck

- 2002 - "Open Range" - Starring Robert Duvall, Kevin Costner

- 2001 - "Crossfire Trail" - Starring Tom Selleck

- 2000 - "The Virginian" - Starring Mark Harmon, Bill Pullman

- 2000 - "Shanghai Noon" - Starring Jackie Chan

- 1997 - "Peacemaker"(TV Series) - Starring George Clooney

- 1997 - "Last Stand at Saber River" - Starring Tom Selleck

- 1997 - "Titanic" - Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet

- 1993 to 1998 - "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" (TV Series) - Starring Jane Seymour

- 1990 - "Back to the Future III" - Starring Michael J. Fox

- 1989 - "Lonesome Dove" - Starring Robert Duvall, Tommy Lee Jones

OPERAS:

Florida Grand Opera - Oakland Park, FL

Glimmer Glass Opera - New York City

Juilliard School - Lincoln Center Plaza - Costume Shop - New York City

Metropolitan Opera Company - New York City

Ohio Light Opera - Wooster, OH

Opera Australia - Surrey Hills - New South Wales, Australia

The Canadian Opera - Toronto, Canada

Washington National Opera - Washington, D. C.

THEATERS:

Barrow Street Theater - San Jose, CA

The Color Purple - Atlanta, GA

Dallas Theater Center - Dallas, TX

The Goodman Theater - Chicago, IL

Lookingglass Theatre - Chicago,  IL

San Jose Repertory Theater - San Jose, CA

The Shakespeare / Costume Shop - Madison, NJ

Taproot Theater Company - Seattle, WA