George S. Simpson – Colorado Trader
George Semmes Simpson, a name etched into the annals of Colorado history, embodies the multifaceted spirit of the 19th-century American West. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, on May 7, 1818, George S. Simpson would ultimately leave his mark as a trapper, trader, adventurer, farmer, rancher, and a key figure in the establishment of early settlements like El Pueblo and Hardscrabble in Colorado, as well as Barclay’s Fort in New Mexico. His life, a tapestry woven with threads of ambition, resilience, and a touch of rogue spirit, reflects the dynamic and often unpredictable nature of the frontier experience.
Simpson’s early life in St. Louis was one of relative privilege. His father, Robert Simpson, a respected physician, provided him with a formal education, nurturing hopes that the young George would follow in his medical footsteps. However, the call of the wild proved too strong to resist. Tales of intrepid trappers and rugged mountain men, whispered around the bustling port city, ignited a fire in the young man’s soul. As a restless adolescent, reportedly prone to some youthful delinquency, he yearned for a life beyond the confines of the classroom and the expectations of his family.
In 1838, at the age of twenty, George S. Simpson embarked on his westward journey, joining the stream of pioneers heading towards the Oregon Trail. Traveling in a mule-drawn wagon, he ventured into the vast and untamed territories of the American West. His destination was Fort Hall in present-day Idaho, a hub for fur traders and a gateway to the Rocky Mountains. There, he immersed himself in the world of trapping, learning the skills of survival and wilderness navigation from seasoned veterans like the legendary Old Bill Williams. Williams, a renowned mountain man, mentored Simpson, teaching him the intricacies of trapping along the rivers of Idaho.
The annual trappers’ rendezvous at Daniel, Wyoming, in the spring of 1839, served as a pivotal moment in Simpson’s career. It was at this gathering that he encountered a diverse array of fur traders, exchanging stories, trading goods, and forging alliances. Inspired by the tales of adventure and opportunity, George S. Simpson embarked on a two-year exploration of the western territories, traversing the landscapes of Colorado, Utah, and Nevada. This extensive journey, spanning approximately 2,000 miles, provided him with invaluable knowledge of the terrain, the native populations, and the potential for trade in the region.
In June 1841, George S. Simpson found himself at Fort Laramie, Wyoming, a significant trading post on the northern plains. It was here that he met two individuals who would play crucial roles in shaping his future: Kit Carson, the famed frontiersman and scout, and Robert Fisher, a trader representing the influential Bent & St. Vrain Company. Fisher recognized Simpson’s potential and offered him a position within the company. Accepting the offer, Simpson joined a group of trappers and traveled south along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains towards Bent’s Fort, a prominent trading post on the Santa Fe Trail.
Bent’s Fort, a sprawling adobe structure strategically located on the Arkansas River, served as a center for commerce and cultural exchange between Anglo-American traders, Native American tribes, and Mexican settlers. It was here that George S. Simpson honed his skills in trading with the diverse populations of the region. He learned to navigate the complexities of intercultural communication, understanding the customs and needs of the various groups he encountered. His keen observation and adaptability allowed him to quickly master the art of negotiation and build rapport with both Native American and Mexican traders.
Recognizing the growing potential for trade in the area, George S. Simpson and Robert Fisher began to discuss the possibility of establishing their own trading post near the confluence of Fountain Creek and the Arkansas River. This strategic location offered access to valuable resources and a central point for trade with the Ute, Apache, and other tribes in the region.
In 1842, Simpson, Fisher, along with Joseph Mantz and Edmond "Francisco" Conn, pooled their resources and expertise to construct El Pueblo, a fortified trading post that would eventually evolve into the city of Pueblo, Colorado. El Pueblo quickly became a hub for trade and settlement, attracting a diverse community of traders, trappers, farmers, and their families. Other prominent figures soon joined them, including Joseph Doyle, Alexander Barclay, and Mathew Kinkead, solidifying El Pueblo’s position as a vital center of commerce in the region.
During his time at El Pueblo, Simpson’s personal life also took a significant turn. Mathew Kinkead, one of the new arrivals at the trading post, was accompanied by Teresita Sandoval, a woman from New Mexico, and her 14-year-old daughter, Juana Maria Suaso. At the age of 24, George Simpson found himself drawn to the young Juana. On November 30, 1842, just a month before her 15th birthday, the couple was married at Bent’s Fort.
For the next two years, George and Juana resided at El Pueblo, actively engaged in trading with the local Native American tribes, as well as Anglo and Mexican settlers. In 1844, driven by a desire to expand their trading opportunities, Simpson, Doyle, and Barclay established another trading post at Hardscrabble, Colorado, located approximately 23 miles west of El Pueblo.
Hardscrabble proved to be a significant location for the Simpson family. On June 2, 1844, George and Juana welcomed their first child, Maria Isabel, into the world. Shortly after her birth, the Simpson family traveled to Taos, New Mexico, where Maria Isabel was baptized and George and Juana were formally married in a church, solidifying their union in the eyes of the church and the community. Throughout their time at Hardscrabble, the Simpson family maintained close ties with El Pueblo, making regular trips back to the settlement. However, by 1848, Hardscrabble began to decline, and Simpson decided to relocate his family back to Pueblo.
In 1849, George S. Simpson, along with Barclay and Doyle, ventured back into New Mexico to construct another adobe fort and trading post. His time there was cut short. That same year, Simpson returned to his home in St. Louis, Missouri. During his steamboat journey, a cholera outbreak swept through the passengers. As the story goes, when George contracted the disease, he requested that his body be delivered to his father in St. Louis if he died. As he worsened, he was finally presumed dead, placed in a coffin, and packed with ice. However, crew members saw the ice move, and Simpson crawled out of the burial box, fully recovered.
Driven by the allure of gold, Simpson spent 1850 and 1852 in California, seeking his fortune in the goldfields. Upon his return to Pueblo, he was reunited with his family. He became attached to several military units in the Taos area as a guide, possibly acting as an interpreter and hunter.
In 1857, he accompanied one unit as far north as the later site of Denver. His stories about finding traces of gold in Cherry Creek helped fuel the famous Pikes Peak Gold Rush.
George and Juana had another child, Marina Jennie Simpson, on July 18, 1860.
At some point, Simpson claimed land and built a house in Huerfano County near Charles Autobees’ ranch. Living there as well was his old friend Joseph Doyle. After Colorado officially became a territory on February 28, 1861, the small settlement that had grown up around Autobees’ Ranch became the county seat. The location was chosen because the population comprised about seven or eight families living along the lower Huerfano River between Autobees’ and Doyle’s ranches, about 18 miles apart. The first election of officers occurred on December 2, 1861, when Charles Autobees and Joseph Doyle were made county commissioners, and George S. Simpson became the county clerk and recorder.
In 1865, Simpson moved his family to Trinidad, Colorado, a young but growing town on the Santa Fe Trail. On February 9, 1866, Las Animas County was carved out of Huerfano County, and Trinidad became the county seat. George S. Simpson was appointed as the first county clerk and recorder. That year, "Uncle Dick" Wootton was improving the trail across Raton Pass, which would bring more people to Trinidad.
In October 1866, Ute warriors raided the Trinidad area as Simpson, and his daughter Isabel were out on the Plains. They fled to the closest high point, scaled the heights of a butte where they hid, and escaped discovery. Simpson then declared the rocky hill had saved his life and that he would like to be buried on its summit.
In Trinidad, George became a respected citizen, held various civil positions, wrote articles for the newspaper, and served on the school board. By the late 1860s, Simpson was driving stagecoaches over Raton Pass. In 1878, the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe Railroad built tracks into Trinidad and across the once-hazardous Raton Pass, bringing an end to the Santa Fe Trail.
George S. Simpson died on September 7, 1885, at the age of 67. As per his wishes, he was buried on the butte where he had hidden from the Indians more than a decade before. The butte became known as Simpson’s Rest. When his daughter, Marina Jennie Simpson Camp, died two years later, she was buried alongside her father.
After his death, his wife, Juana Suaso, lived with her daughter, Isabel, in California, where she died in 1916 at 89.
Throughout his years as a trapper and trader, George S. Simpson was plagued by a lack of discipline, weak will, and alcohol dependency, which sometimes made him abusive. There were times when some considered him a "loafer." However, over the years, Simpson was an adventurer, farmer, rancher, shopkeeper, civic leader, and poet, and by the time of his death, he had grown much since his days as a mountain man.