Bent's Forts

In the early and mid-nineteenth century, three men moved to what would eventually become southeastern Colorado and established a trading and commercial empire. The Bents—brothers William, Charles, and George—arrived in the area in the late 1820s, and established two trading posts that were essential in the eventual establishment of permanent communities in the region.

The Bents’ empire mixed the American influence of St. Louis and Westport, Missouri, with the existing Spanish and French Canadian influences in the region. The Kiowa, Comanche, Plains Apache, and Ute also controlled territory in southeastern Colorado and influenced the region’s cultural mix. As the Bents increased their economic power, the Cheyenne and Arapaho peoples made increasing inroads into the plains bounded by the Rockies on the west, the Platte Rivers to the north, and the Arkansas River to the south.

In 1838 William Bent (sometimes called “Colonel,” “Little White Man,” and “Gray Beard”) joined the Cheyenne tribe by marrying Owl Woman (Mistanta), daughter of White Thunder, the esteemed Keeper of the Arrows. Owl Woman bore four children: Mary, Robert, George, and Julia. When Owl Woman died at the birth of Julia, William, in keeping with Cheyenne tradition, married her sister Yellow Woman. She gave birth to his fifth and last child, Charlie. At some point Yellow Woman left, so William married his third and last wife, Island, another sister of Owl Woman.

Even though the beaver-trapping era of the mountain men was coming to an end in the early 1830s, the Bents and their partners, the St. Vrains, were expanding their trade empire with the construction of Bent’s Old Fort (Fort William), 1832–34. They pioneered the buffalo hide version of the fur trade, and by the mid-1840s the Bents were trading tens of thousands of buffalo hides, along with other animal hides, for consumption in the East. Bent’s Old Fort was located on the Santa Fé Trail, and this major trade route put William Bent at a pivotal point on the border between the United States and Mexico.

Bent’s Old Fort was a focal point on the Santa Fé Trail, and had served for at least sixteen years as a haven for local trappers and traders until General Stephen Watts Kearny’s Army of the West misused it during the Mexican-American War in 1846. Kearny intended Bent’s Fort as a rallying point for preparation of the invasion of New Mexico (northern Mexico) and the expedition to California in support of Americans already living there. This did not sit well with William Bent, who was a lifelong friend of the Indians. The fur trade was in decline by that time, and in 1849 it was debated whether or not Bent actually blew up his old fort before abandoning it. A second theory is that the cholera epidemic that year may have also influenced Bent’s decision to abandon the fort.

In 1853 photographer Solomon Nunes Carvalho mentioned that “all the material saved from the fort was removed to Mr. Bent’s house, on Big Timber.” In the 1860s, a portion of the fort was renovated by the Missouri Stage Company and served as a stage stop for various companies, including Barlow and Sanderson, until the 1880s.

In 1853, William again took to building a so-called New Fort at the “Big Timbers” section of the Arkansas Valley. He chose a bluff overlooking the river valley and began a new trading post there, which was situated near the camping grounds of the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Kiowa, who came there regularly, according to early travelers and diarists. Comanche and some Pawnee were known to frequent the area as well. Some estimated that at any one time, there could be thousands camped in the vicinity. The New Fort established a place for negotiation and resupply for the government and its agents. It established a destination for the building of the cut-off military road from the Smoky Hill River to the Arkansas River in 1853–56.

In its short active life, 1853–67, Bent’s New Fort saw the rising conflict between whites and Native Americans from Sumner’s Solomon River expedition against the Cheyenne to Chivington’s atrocious attack at Sand Creek. It was also a jumping-off point for soldiers in campaigns against Plains Indians in the Red River War. On the other hand, it served as a destination for military and civilians who tried to maintain peaceful relations between the government and the tribes. There is no denying the key role that Bent’s two forts played in the commerce and development of southeastern Colorado.

In the early and mid-nineteenth century three brothers moved to what would become southeastern Colorado.  There, they created a trading and commercial empire. William, Charles, and George Bent built two trading posts in southeastern Colorado that were key in the beginnings of permanent communities in the region. The Bents’ empire mixed Americans with the existing Spanish and French-Canadian influences and traditions in the region. The Kiowa, Comanche, Plains Apache, and Ute also controlled territory in the region and helped shape the southeastern Colorado’s cultural mixture.

In 1838 William Bent (sometimes called “Colonel,” “Little White Man,” and “Gray Beard”) joined the Cheyenne tribe by marrying Owl Woman (Mistanta), daughter of White Thunder, the respected Keeper of the Arrows. Owl Woman had four children: Mary, Robert, George, and Julia. When Owl Woman died at the birth of Julia, William, in keeping with Cheyenne tradition, married her sister Yellow Woman. She gave birth to his fifth and last child, Charlie. William then married his third and last wife, Island, another sister of Owl Woman.

Even though the beaver-trapping era of the mountain men was coming to an end in the early 1830s, the Bents and their partners, the St. Vrains, were expanding their trade empire. They built Bent’s Old Fort, also called Fort William, from 1832 to 1834. They started the buffalo hide version of the fur trade. By the mid-1840s the Bents were trading tens of thousands of buffalo hides, along with other animal hides, to people living in the East. Bent’s Old Fort was located on the Santa Fé Trail, and this major trade route put William Bent at a key point on the border of the United States and Mexico.

Bent’s Old Fort was a central point on the Santa Fé Trail, and had served for at least sixteen years as a shelter for local trappers and traders until General Stephen Watts Kearny’s Army of the West tried  to use it as a base during the Mexican-American War in 1846. The fur trade was in decline by this time, and in 1849 the fort was destroyed. There are several theories about the destruction of the fort, but it is not known for sure what happened.

In 1853, William again started building a so-called Bent’s New Fort at the “Big Timbers” section of the Arkansas Valley. He chose a bluff overlooking the river valley and began a new trading post there, located near the camping grounds of the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Kiowa, who came there regularly. Comanche and some Pawnee were known to visit the area as well. Some thought it likely that at any one time, there could be thousands camped in the vicinity. Bent’s New Fort became a place for compromise and resupply for the government and its agents.

In its short active life, 1853–67, Bent’s New Fort saw the conflict between whites and Native Americans increase. It served as a jumping-off point for soldiers in campaigns against Plains Indians in the Red River War. But it also became a destination for military and civilians who tried to maintain peaceful relations between the government and the tribes. There is no denying the key role that Bent’s two forts played in the commerce and development of southeastern Colorado.

In the late 1820s, three brothers, William, Charles, and George Bent, built two trading posts. These posts were located near what is today La Junta, Colorado. American, French Canadian, Spanish, and American Indian cultures mixed together in this southeastern Colorado region. The trading posts were important in starting lasting communities in this region.

In 1838 William Bent joined the Cheyenne tribe by marrying Owl Woman (Mistanta), the daughter of White Thunder. Owl Woman had four children: Mary, Robert, George, and Julia. When Owl Woman died, William married her sister Yellow Woman. She gave birth to his fifth and last child, Charlie.

By the early 1830s, the trading business of the Bents and their partners, the St. Vrains, was growing. They built Bent’s Old Fort, also called Fort William from 1832 to 1834. By the mid-1840s the Bents were trading many thousands of buffalo and other hides to people living in the eastern United States. Bent’s Old Fort was located on the Santa Fé Trail. It was a major trade route on the border of the US and Mexico. Bent’s Old Fort was a main point on the Santa Fé Trail for sixteen years before it was destroyed.

In 1853, William built a New Fort at the “Big Timbers” area of the Arkansas Valley. He chose a bluff overlooking the river valley and began a new trading post there. It was located near the camping grounds of the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Kiowa, who visited the fort often.

From 1853 to 1867, those living at Bent’s New Fort saw the conflict between whites and Native Americans grow. But, it also was a place for military and civilians who tried to keep the peace between the government and the tribes. Bent’s two forts played an important part in developing southeastern Colorado.