El Pueblo

El Pueblo was an important trading post established in 1842 at the site of the present-day city of Pueblo. The trading post was used by a diverse group of trappers, traders, and mountain men. El Pueblo was abandoned after an 1854 attack by Utes. The post gradually disappeared and the city of Pueblo was built over its ruins. In the 1980s, anthropology professor William G. Buckles and students at Colorado State University–Pueblo discovered the site. It is now home to History Colorado’s El Pueblo History Museum.

Trading on the Arkansas River

The establishment of trading posts put an end to the old fur-trading practice of the annual mountain man rendezvous. In 1833 Bent’s Fort was built on the Arkansas River east of what is now La Junta. It became an important trading post on the Santa Fé Trail between Missouri and New Mexico. Traders working at the fort acquired buffalo hides from mountain men and Cheyenne and Arapaho Native Americans. The hides were transported and sold in St. Louis.

Building an Independent Trading Post

In 1842 a failed delivery of buffalo hides created a shortage in eastern markets. George Simpson, a trader who worked at Bent’s Fort, saw an opportunity to establish a new trading post. Other traders joined him to build a new trading post about seventy miles upriver from Bent’s Fort.

They built their post where the Arkansas River joined Fountain Creek. At the time, the river was the border between the United States and Mexico. The post’s location made it the closest US settlement to Taos, Mexico. The location had many advantages as a trading center. The Cherokee Trail and the Taos (or Trappers) Trail ran by the site. These travel routes provided easy access to markets and trading partners. Native American groups often passed through the area as well. In addition, the valley was at a low elevation with a temperate climate, while the rivers promised plenty of water for agriculture.

From May to September 1842, Hispano laborers built the trading post on the north bank of the Arkansas River. The exact shape, size, and appearance of the post are unknown. Surviving accounts indicate that it was likely an adobe plaza similar in appearance to a New Mexico country house. It likely had a series of rooms arranged in a rough square around a central courtyard. The rooms opened onto the interior plaza and had no entries on the outside, making the structure easier to defend. There was probably a large gate that allowed access to the central plaza from the side that faced the Arkansas River.

Life at El Pueblo

They named the trading post El Pueblo, which means “town” or “people” in Spanish. The post was distinctive in that it was neither a military fort nor owned by a trading company. Instead, it was an independent post that served as a base for a diverse group of Hispanic, French, Anglo, and Native American traders. It is unclear how many people lived at El Pueblo at any one time, but it could hold up to 100 residents.

Noted traders, trappers, and mountain men such as Kit Carson, Richens Wootton, and James Beckwourth stayed there while the post was active. Hispano women like Teresita Sandoval helped run the day-to-day operations of El Pueblo. The traders who stayed there had a few rooms and used the central plaza as a common trading area. The traders’ goods were laid out on blankets on the ground.

El Pueblo became a center for farms and ranches that developed in the area. These were started by people who had first operated as traders at the post. They marketed their produce and livestock to wagon trains along the emigrant and trading trails. In 1846–47, several hundred Mormons camped near El Pueblo during the migration that eventually led them to Salt Lake City. At El Pueblo they acquired livestock and learned about irrigation and other techniques for farming in the arid West.

End of El Pueblo

In the late 1840s, El Pueblo’s resident traders began to move on to other places. The Mexican-American War from 1846–48 suppressed trade between the United States and Mexico. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war in 1848. It also transformed the region by increasing US territory in the Southwest. Meanwhile, the discovery of gold in California attracted fortune-seekers from across the continent. As a result of these changes, trade declined at El Pueblo and its population dwindled.

After the Mexican-American War ended, European Americans started moving to the plains and Rocky Mountains. Hispanos from New Mexico established permanent settlements in the San Luis and Arkansas valleys. Settlers from the East streamed across a network of migration trails.

The Native American people, who had lived on the land for centuries, were incensed by this influx of people. In 1854 Utes upset by broken treaties and poorly conducted negotiations began to skirmish with settlers in what is now southern Colorado. On Christmas Eve, 1854, the Ute chief Tierra Blanca led about fifty warriors in an attack on El Pueblo. Only about fifteen or twenty people were there at the time, and most of them were killed.

After the attack, El Pueblo was abandoned. Over the next several years it was occasionally used by travelers as a temporary shelter. As the adobe walls crumbled, a small town called Fountain City took shape on the opposite side of Fountain Creek during the Colorado Gold Rush of 1858–59. By 1860 a rival settlement was established on the west side of Fountain Creek near the abandoned El Pueblo. Settlers used some of El Pueblo’s adobe bricks to build their own structures and adopted the name “Pueblo” for their town.

Pueblo soon overtook Fountain City and became the dominant social and economic center along the Arkansas River. By 1880 El Pueblo had disappeared under new development.

Rediscovering El Pueblo

In 1959 the Colorado Historical Society (now History Colorado) opened the El Pueblo History Museum in an old airplane hangar near the city’s airport. At the time, the exact location of the original El Pueblo had been debated for decades. The question was complicated by changes in the course of the Arkansas River. The river through downtown Pueblo had shifted about a quarter mile south since the mid-1800s.

In the 1980s, students at the University of Southern Colorado (now Colorado State University-Pueblo) started a project to determine the site of El Pueblo. An 1873 photo showing the remains of El Pueblo led them to believe it might be under the Fariss Hotel. The hotel had been built in downtown Pueblo in the early 1880s. In 1989 anthropology professor William G. Buckles surveyed the basement of the Fariss Hotel. The work appeared promising, so in 1991 the city tore down the Fariss Hotel to allow for an archaeological excavation. Buckles and his team discovered evidence of the El Pueblo structures, as well as hundreds of artifacts such as trade goods, rifle balls, and stone tools.

The excavation helped spark a revival of downtown Pueblo. The city and the Colorado Historical Society worked on a plan to bring the El Pueblo History Museum closer to the rediscovered El Pueblo site. In 1992 the museum moved to a building near El Pueblo. In 1996 the rediscovered El Pueblo site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Later, Pueblo was developing the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk for its downtown area. It included a new El Pueblo museum complex in the master plan. With the help of a gift from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the museum complex was completed in 2003. The museum moved to the new site. It occupies the block where El Pueblo was discovered and includes the El Pueblo History Museum, the William G. Buckles Archaeology Pavilion at the excavation site, and a reconstruction that resembles the original trading post.

El Pueblo was an important trading post established in 1842. It was located where the city of Pueblo is today. The trading post was used by a diverse group of trappers, traders, and mountain men. El Pueblo was abandoned after an 1854 attack by Utes. The post gradually disappeared and the city of Pueblo was built over its ruins. In the 1980s, students at Colorado State University-Pueblo discovered the site. It is now home to History Colorado’s El Pueblo History Museum.

Trading on the Arkansas River

Trading posts were built along wagon trails in the 1830s. They were established as places for people to meet and exchange goods. The trading posts put an end to the old fur-trading practice of the mountain man rendezvous. In 1833 Bent’s Fort was built on the Arkansas River. It became an important trading post on the Santa Fé Trail between Missouri and New Mexico. Buffalo hides and other furs were in great demand at the time. Traders working at the fort acquired buffalo hides from mountain men and Native Americans. The hides were sold to customers in the East.

Building an Independent Trading Post

In 1842 a failed delivery of buffalo hides created a shortage in eastern markets. George Simpson, a trader who worked at Bent’s Fort, saw an opportunity to establish a new trading post. Other traders joined him to build a trading post at El Pueblo.

In 1842 they decided to build this independent trading post where the Arkansas River joined Fountain Creek. The spot was about seventy miles upriver from Bent’s Fort. At the time, the Arkansas River was the border between the United States and Mexico. The post’s location made it the closest US settlement to Taos, which was in Mexico.

The location had many advantages as a trading center. Trading routes such as the Cherokee Trail and the Taos (or Trappers) Trail ran by the site. These provided easy access to markets and trading partners. Native American groups often passed through the area as well. In addition, the valley was at a low elevation with a temperate climate, while the rivers promised plenty of water for agriculture.

In 1842 Hispano laborers built the trading post on the north bank of the Arkansas River. The exact shape, size, and appearance of the post are unknown. Surviving accounts indicate that it was an adobe plaza similar to a New Mexico country house. It likely had a series of rooms arranged in a square around a central courtyard. The rooms opened onto the interior plaza. It had no entries on the outside, making the structure easier to defend. There was probably a large gate that allowed access to the central plaza from the side that faced the Arkansas River.

Life at El Pueblo

The trading post was named El Pueblo, which means “town” or “people” in Spanish. The post was distinctive in that it was not a military fort or owned by a trading company. Instead, it was an independent post that served as a base for a diverse group of Hispanic, French, Anglo, and Native American traders. It is unclear how many people lived at El Pueblo at any one time, but it could hold up to 100 residents.

Noted traders, trappers, and mountain men such as Kit Carson, Richens Wootton, and James Beckwourth stayed there. Hispano women like Teresita Sandoval helped run the day-to-day operations of El Pueblo. The traders who stayed there had a few rooms and used the central plaza as a common trading area. The traders’ goods were laid out on blankets on the ground.

El Pueblo became a center for farms and ranches that developed in the area. These were started by people who had first worked as traders at the post. They sold their produce and marketed their livestock to wagon trains. In 1846–47, several hundred Mormons camped near El Pueblo while traveling to Salt Lake City. At El Pueblo they acquired livestock and learned about irrigation and other techniques for farming in the arid West.

End of El Pueblo

In the late 1840s, El Pueblo’s resident traders began to move on to other places. The Mexican-American War from 1846–48 stopped trade between the US and Mexico. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war in 1848. The war transformed the region by increasing US territory in the Southwest.

After the Mexican-American War ended, Anglo- and European Americans started moving to the plains and Rocky Mountains. Hispanos from New Mexico established permanent settlements in the San Luis and Arkansas valleys. Settlers from the East streamed across a network of migration trails.

The Native American people, who had lived on the land for centuries, were incensed by this influx of people. In 1854 Utes upset by broken treaties and poorly conducted negotiations began to skirmish with settlers. On Christmas Eve, 1854, the Ute chief Tierra Blanca led about fifty warriors in an attack on El Pueblo. Twenty people were there at the time and most of them were killed.

After the attack, El Pueblo was abandoned and the adobe walls crumbled. By 1860 a town was established near the abandoned El Pueblo. Settlers used some of El Pueblo’s adobe bricks to build their own structures. They adopted the name of Pueblo for their town. Pueblo became the dominant social and economic center along the Arkansas River. The city was successful for the same reasons that El Pueblo had been successful. By 1880 El Pueblo had disappeared under new development.

Rediscovering El Pueblo

In 1959 the Colorado Historical Society opened the El Pueblo History Museum. It was named El Pueblo to honor the trading post that once stood in the area. At the time, the exact location of the original El Pueblo had been debated for decades. The question was complicated by changes in the course of the Arkansas River. The river through downtown Pueblo had shifted about a quarter mile south since the mid-1800s.

In the 1980s, students at the University of Southern Colorado (now Colorado State University-Pueblo) wanted to determine the site of El Pueblo. An 1873 photo showing the remains of El Pueblo led them to believe it might be under the Fariss Hotel. The hotel had been built in downtown Pueblo in the early 1880s. Anthropology professor William G. Buckles surveyed the basement of the Fariss Hotel. The work appeared promising, so in 1991 the city tore down the Fariss Hotel to allow for an archaeological excavation. Buckles and his team discovered evidence of the El Pueblo structure. They found hundreds of artifacts such as trade goods, rifle balls, and stone tools.

The excavation helped spark a revival of downtown Pueblo. In 1992 the city and the Colorado Historical Society moved the El Pueblo History Museum closer to the El Pueblo site. In 1996 the El Pueblo site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The El Pueblo Museum moved one more time. The town of Pueblo was making the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk near the El Pueblo site. As part of the project, they built a new El Pueblo History museum in 2003. The museum is next to the El Pueblo site. People can visit the El Pueblo History Museum and the El Pueblo site. The museum has rebuilt of the original trading post so people can know what El Pueblo was like.

El Pueblo was an important trading post. It was started in 1842 where the town of Pueblo is today. Trappers, traders, mountain men, and pioneers used the trading post to exchange goods. El Pueblo was attacked by Native Americans in 1854. Then it was deserted. The city of Pueblo was built over the site. In the 1980s, anthropology students discovered the site. It is now home to History Colorado’s El Pueblo History Museum.

Trading on the Arkansas River

Trading posts were built along wagon trails in the 1830s. They were places for people to meet and exchange goods. Before trading posts were built, trappers and traders met at an annual rendezvous. In 1833 Bent’s Fort was built. It became an important trading post on the Santa Fé Trail. Buffalo hides and other furs were popular items. Traders at the fort traded goods for buffalo hides from Native Americans and other trappers. They sold the hides to people in the east.

Building an Independent Trading Post

George Simpson was a trader who worked at Bent’s Fort. In 1842 he and some friends decided to build another trading post. They chose a spot along the Arkansas River. It was seventy miles from Bent’s Fort. At that time, the Arkansas River was the border between the United States and Mexico.

The location was a good one for a trading post. The Cherokee Trail and the Taos/Trappers Trail went by the post. Native American groups passed through the area. The weather in the valley was mild. The river provided water for the post.

In 1842 Hispano workers built the trading post. It was an adobe plaza, with rooms around a central courtyard. The rooms opened onto a central plaza. It had no doors on the outside, so it was easier to defend. A large gate led into the central plaza.

Life at El Pueblo

The trading post was named El Pueblo. It means “town” or “people” in Spanish. The post was unusual. It was not a military fort and was not owned by a trading company. Instead, it was an independent post. Hispanic, French, Anglo, and Native American traders all used the post. One hundred people could live at El Pueblo.

Many traders, trappers, and mountain men stayed at El Pueblo. Some included Kit Carson, Richens Wootton, and James Beckwourth. Hispano women like Teresita Sandoval helped with the day-to-day operations of El Pueblo. Each trader had rooms at the post. The central plaza was used as the trading area. The traders’ goods were laid out on blankets on the ground.

El Pueblo became a center for farming and ranching. Crops and animals were traded and sold. Wagon trains heading west needed supplies. In 1847 several hundred Mormons camped near El Pueblo on their way to Salt Lake City.

End of El Pueblo

In the late 1840s, El Pueblo was used less often. There was a war between Mexico and the United States. People were going to California for the Gold Rush in 1849. Fewer wagon trains were coming by El Pueblo. The population of El Pueblo declined.

The United States won the Mexican-American War in 1848. Settlers started moving to Colorado. Hispanos from New Mexico moved to the area. They started towns in the San Luis and Arkansas River Valleys. Anglo-Americans from the East streamed across the wagon trails heading west.

Native American peoples had lived on the land for centuries. They were angry about broken treaties and the number of settlers who were arriving. They began to fight the settlers. On Christmas Eve, 1854, the Ute chief Tierra Blanca led fifty warriors in an attack on El Pueblo. About twenty people were there at the time. Most of them were killed.

After the attack, El Pueblo was abandoned. The adobe walls crumbled. In 1860 a town was started near El Pueblo. Some of El Pueblo’s adobe bricks were used to build the town. They named their new town “Pueblo.” Pueblo became the largest city along the Arkansas River. By the 1880s, El Pueblo had disappeared under the new city.

Rediscovering El Pueblo

In 1959 the Colorado Historical Society opened the El Pueblo History Museum in Pueblo. It was located in an old airplane hangar. They named it El Pueblo to honor the trading post that once stood in the area. No one knew where the original El Pueblo was located.

In the 1980s, students at Colorado State University in Pueblo wanted to find the original site of El Pueblo. They found an old photo showing ruins of the trading post. They believed El Pueblo might be under the Fariss Hotel. The hotel had been built in the early 1880s. They dug into the basement of the hotel. They discovered the ruins of El Pueblo.

In 1991 the city tore down the Fariss Hotel to find more of what remained of El Pueblo. The students and professors discovered parts of the El Pueblo trading post. They also found hundreds of related items like trade goods, rifle balls, and stone tools.

In 1992 the Colorado Historical Society moved the El Pueblo History Museum closer to the El Pueblo site. In 1996 the El Pueblo site was given a special honor. It was put on the National Register of Historic Places.

The El Pueblo Museum moved one more time. The town of Pueblo was making the Historic Arkansas Riverwalk near the El Pueblo site. As part of the project, they built a new El Pueblo History Museum in 2003. The museum is next to the El Pueblo site. People can visit the El Pueblo History Museum and the El Pueblo site. The museum has rebuilt the original trading post so people can know what El Pueblo was like.