Bent's Old Fort

From: Dan Trumble
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2007
Subject: The Trumbles at Bent's Old Fort

Greetings! On Thursday, November 15, the Trumbles visited Bent’s Old Fort near La Junta, Colorado.

After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, trade moved west and a good business was to be had trading for beaver pelts (and later, buffalo hides) with the American Indian tribes. Brothers William & Charles Bent and Ceran St. Vrain formed the Bent, St. Vrain & Company and had a booming business trading their goods and transporting freight along the route between Independence, Missouri and Santa Fe (which was in Mexico at the time). In 1831 the company had a $500,000 profit. They decided that it would be beneficial to have a stop along the way and in about 1833 built the Fort on the U.S. side of the Arkansas River, which marked the boundary between U.S. Territory and Mexico at the time.

For a time it was the only major permanent white settlement along the Santa Fe Trail between Missouri and Mexico. It provided a safe meeting place for traders and travelers passing along the Santa Fe Trail. During its heyday, diverse peoples could be found at the Fort and at least 7 languages were spoken including English, Spanish, French, Sioux, Comanche, Ute, and Cheyenne.
Eventually, the U.S. Army wanted use of the fort to support the efforts against Mexico. There were negotiations between William Bent and the Army to sell the Fort to the Army but a price was not agreed upon and in 1849 the Fort was basically blown up, very possibly under the direction of William Bent himself…So much for the Fort. In the mid-1970s the Fort was rebuilt and that’s what we visited.

Sources include http://www.sangres.com/nationalparks/bents.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bent%27s_Old_Fort, the brochure handed out to folks who visit from the National Park system, and information obtained during our visit.

Bent’s Old Fort is located along the Arkansas River in Southeast Colorado.

Map from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bent%27s_Old_Fort

Bent’s Old Fort


Will, Jim, Stephen, and Elizabeth in the bright sun on the 2nd level of Bent’s Old Fort


Gunpowder storeroom


Will defending the fort. Stephen & Jim defending the fort. Stephen warming himself against the wall.


Note the relatively few number of stars on the flag


Jim

The Family

A storeroom

At the rear of the fort is the animal area

I’m not at all sure that peacocks were customary in the Old West but they can be found today at Bent’s Old Fort


The carpentry shop


The Blacksmith Shop


In the middle of the courtyard is a press that would have been used to tightly compact the buffalo hides for shipping. Inset: Will and the press.