Fort Pueblo, Colorado
Fort Pueblo, Colorado, originally known as El Pueblo, stands as a significant landmark in the state’s rich tapestry of frontier history. More than a mere military installation, it functioned primarily as a bustling trading post, a vital nexus point where cultures converged and commerce flourished amidst the rugged landscapes of the American West. Located strategically at the confluence of the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek, its story is one of ambition, enterprise, cultural exchange, and, ultimately, tragic conflict.
The establishment of Fort Pueblo in 1842 marked the beginning of an era. Recognizing the potential of this location, traders George Simpson and Robert Fisher, veterans of Bent’s Fort situated approximately 70 miles downstream on the Arkansas River, ventured out to establish their own enterprise. Bent’s Fort, a prominent trading post in its own right, had provided them with valuable experience and insight into the dynamics of the regional trade. The pair’s initiative quickly attracted other entrepreneurial individuals, including Francisco Conn, Mathew Kinkead, Joseph Mantz, Joseph Doyle, and Alexander Barclay, who joined forces to capitalize on the area’s promising prospects.
The geographical positioning of Fort Pueblo was undeniably strategic. It lay at the crossroads of several significant trails, including the Cherokee Trail, Trappers Trail, and in close proximity to the Santa Fe Trail. This intersection of routes made it a natural gathering point for travelers, trappers, and traders. Furthermore, its location as the closest U.S. settlement to Taos, New Mexico, a major trading hub in Mexican territory, gave it a unique advantage. The abundance of water provided by the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek was also crucial, enabling agricultural activities that sustained the post and its growing community.
Historical records suggest that Fort Pueblo was likely designed as an enclosed plaza, a common architectural style for trading posts in the West. Rooms were arranged in a square around a central courtyard, offering a sense of security and community. A large gate provided the primary access point to the plaza, while the rooms themselves lacked exterior entrances, further enhancing the defensive capabilities of the structure. This design suggests a deliberate effort to create a secure and defensible space, essential for survival in a volatile frontier environment. It is estimated that the post could accommodate up to 100 individuals at any given time, highlighting its significance as a center of activity and residence.
The operation of Fort Pueblo was a collaborative effort, with owners and traders pooling their resources and forming partnerships. Their primary focus was trade with the Ute and Apache Indians, who inhabited the surrounding areas. The traders offered a variety of goods, including essential supplies such as sugar, cornmeal, flour, blankets, guns, and coffee, as well as trinkets and other items of interest. In exchange, the Native Americans provided valuable buffalo robes, a highly sought-after commodity in the fur trade.
The spring season brought an influx of independent trappers to El Pueblo, eager to sell their accumulated furs to the post’s proprietors. Following these transactions, many trappers chose to remain at the fort throughout the summer, often accompanied by their Indian or Mexican wives. This influx of individuals contributed to a diverse and sometimes unruly population. Some contemporary accounts describe a significant portion of Pueblo’s inhabitants as "renegades, outlaws, discharged soldiers, fugitives from justice, desperadoes, idlers, and loafers," painting a picture of a frontier community that attracted individuals from all walks of life, not all of whom were law-abiding.
Beyond its role as a trading center, Fort Pueblo fostered the growth of an agricultural community. Local residents cultivated crops and raised livestock, selling their produce to emigrants traveling along the trails. Goat’s milk was a particularly popular item, earning the trading post the nickname "Milk Fort." This agricultural activity not only provided sustenance for the community but also contributed to the overall economic viability of the post.
During its active years, El Pueblo welcomed a number of notable mountain men and explorers, further cementing its place in the history of the American West. Figures such as Old Bill Williams, Kit Carson, Richens Lacy Wootton, and James Beckwourth were known to have visited the post. In June 1844, John C. Fremont, the renowned explorer and military officer, passed by the trading post and noted that it appeared to be "in a thriving condition," offering a glimpse into the post’s prosperity during its peak years.
Despite its initial success, challenges soon emerged. In 1844, George Simpson, Joseph Doyle, and Alexander Barclay, some of the original founders of Fort Pueblo, established a competing trading post approximately 23 miles west, in a settlement known as Hardscrabble. This new establishment diverted some trade and resources away from El Pueblo.
Further complicating matters, Mexican trade restrictions imposed in June 1845 hindered the ability of traders to obtain goods from Taos, New Mexico, a crucial source of supplies. This disruption led to a significant exodus of traders from El Pueblo, weakening its economic foundation.
Simultaneously, Andrew Drips, the Indian Agent on the Upper Missouri River, was actively investigating the source of alcohol being traded with Native American tribes. In 1845, he accused a "reckless band of desperadoes" of importing alcohol from Mexico and engaging in "illicit and destructive trade with the Indians." Drips identified El Pueblo and Hardscrabble as the locations where these traders operated, further tarnishing the reputation of the settlements.
In a letter to the Superintendent of Indian Affairs in St. Louis, Missouri, Drips described the traders as a "mongrel crew of Americans, French, Mexicans, and half-breeds" who were "no better than outlaws." He accused them of cultivating corn and other crops to trade with the Indians for robes and skins, which they then bartered for whiskey, flour, and other goods in Santa Fe and Taos. This illegal trade, according to Drips, undermined licensed traders and defied the authority of the United States government.
Stephen Watts Kearny, another prominent figure in the West, also recognized the issue of smuggled liquor and suggested that a sub-agent be stationed at Bent’s Fort to address the problem. However, the outbreak of the Mexican-American War in 1846 overshadowed these concerns, and no immediate action was taken. The absence of effective government oversight allowed the illegal importation and trade of alcohol with Native Americans to persist.
In 1846, a group of approximately 275 Mormons, primarily from Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee, spent the winter about one-half mile east of El Pueblo, on the south side of the Arkansas River. The following May, they continued their journey to Salt Lake City, Utah, leaving behind a brief but notable presence in the area.
In 1847, Thomas Fitzpatrick, a seasoned figure in the fur trade with extensive knowledge of the inhabitants of Pueblo and Hardscrabble, was appointed as the Upper Arkansas River Indian agent. His report of September 1847 provided a detailed account of the settlements, describing them as being composed of "old trappers and hunters" of diverse nationalities, including Americans, Missouri French, Canadians, and Mexicans. He noted that they had a "tolerable supply of cattle, horses, mules, etc." and had raised a good crop of wheat, corn, beans, pumpkins, and other vegetables.
Fitzpatrick estimated the population to be around 150, with approximately 60 men, many of whom had wives from various Indian tribes, including Blackfeet, Assiniboine, Arikara, Sioux, Arapaho, Cheyenne, Pawnee, Snake, Sinpach, Chinock, Mexicans, and Americans. He also mentioned the presence of two Mormon families who had remained behind after the departure of the larger group.
Fitzpatrick characterized both Pueblo and Hardscrabble as "fortified by a wall 12 feet high, composed of adobe" and warned that they were "becoming the resort of all idlers and loafers" and "depots for the smugglers of liquor from New Mexico into this country." He concluded that they "must be watched," highlighting the growing concerns about lawlessness and illegal activities in the area.
By this time, the fur trade was in decline, and the Mexican-American War further disrupted trade between the United States and Mexico. By 1849, El Pueblo was entirely abandoned, marking the end of an era.
Following the conclusion of the Mexican-American War and the onset of the California Gold Rush, Colorado experienced an influx of travelers and settlers. In 1853, Mexican settlers reoccupied El Pueblo, attempting to revive the settlement.
However, tensions between the settlers and the Ute Indians were escalating. Despite the signing of a peace treaty in 1849, the increasing number of settlers brought with them diseases, encroached upon Ute lands, and depleted the wild game, making hunting increasingly difficult. This led to a series of raids by the Ute and their Jicarilla Apache allies on settlers and villages in search of food.
The tragic climax came on Christmas Eve in 1854, with the Fort Pueblo Massacre. During a celebration at the post, a group of Ute and Apache Indians, led by Chief Tierra Blanca, attacked the unsuspecting settlers, killing 15 men and kidnapping a woman and two boys. This devastating event effectively ended any hopes of permanently re-establishing the settlement.
In response to the massacre, troops from Fort Massachusetts, reinforced by soldiers from Fort Union, New Mexico, were deployed to subdue the Ute Indians, who were eventually forced to cede their lands in the San Luis Valley.
In the aftermath of the massacre, the ruins of El Pueblo were occasionally used as temporary shelter by travelers, but the post never regained its former prominence. As the adobe structures crumbled, settlers repurposed the bricks for other construction projects, eventually building over the site. The new settlement that emerged was named Pueblo, carrying on the legacy of its predecessor.
Today, the El Pueblo History Museum stands near the original site of Fort Pueblo, serving as a reminder of the region’s rich and complex history. The museum features a replica of the old trading post, as well as an archaeological excavation of the original 1842 El Pueblo trading post. The museum is located at 301 North Union, Pueblo, Colorado.