Costumed in period clothing, history reenactor John Salicco portrays a French voyageur in the early 19th century Northwest fur trade in the presentation, “Jacques Portier - Old Nor' Wester.” The performance begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 14 at the Mountain View Timberland Library, located at 210 Silverbrook Road, Randle. The program is free of charge, sponsored by the Friends of the Mountain View Timberland Library.

Mr. Salicco’s Jacques Portier is a composite character who reminisces about his time as a voyageur and a partner in the old Northwest Company. From the founding of Astoria, Spokane and Vancouver, Portier provides first hand accounts in story and song of the exploits and adventures of his contemporaries - the first explorers and traders of the old Northwest.

The opening of the West was first and foremost a business enterprise. Salicco’s performance reflects a time when there were no edicts stating that diverse groups had to work together and no one group had sufficient force to compel compliance to their way of life. What came about, through give and take, or supply and demand, was a negotiated understanding and working relationship among the parties.

Salicco holds two certificates in theater arts. Recently retired from the corporate world, he makes and plays replica 19th century banjos. He has been active in many historic reenactment programs and strives to infuse local content and relevance in his presentations. He sits as a director on the board of the Fort Nisqually Foundation and is a regular storyteller and living history performer at the Fort Nisqually Living History Museum in Tacoma.

This presentation is a Humanities Washington, Inquiring Mind series program. For more information, please call (360) 497-2665.