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Jan Inventory of the Papers of Bent's 01 D Fort Collection Number 55 A ( .· J An Inventory of the Papers of Bent's 01 d Fort c Collection Number 55 A holding of the Library of the Colorado Historical Society 1300 Broadway Denver, CO 80203 Processed by Tracie Etheredge & Aleks Humeyu~ptewa Copyright 1994 COLORADO HISTORICAL SOCIETY All Rights Reserved I ( ! TABLE OF CONTENTS Historical Information .......................................... 1 Scope and Contents ............................................... 5 Chronology ....................................................... 6 Collection Contents ............................................. 8 c Bent's Old Fort 1 ! Historical Information Bent's Old Fort, located on the Arkansas River, in southeastern Colorado, stood for little more the twenty years, but it was one of the most significant trading centers in the West. Located on both the north/south route between the Platte River country and Santa Fe, New Mexico, and the east/west route up the Arkansas River and into the mountains, trappers and Indians alike found this a natural and important trading point. Charles and William Bent, and Ceran St. Vrain were among the early traders who developed an interest in both fur trade with the Indians of the southwest, and in marketing American merchandise in New Mexico. The three men were the principal partners in a firm they organized in 1830. Earlier the men had all been engaged in the upper Missouri fur trade and were therefore well equipped and experienced in trade with Indians and Mexicans. The concept of a great trading establishment on the Arkansas River among the southwestern Indian tribes appears to have evolved in the mind of Charles Bent soon after the formation of the partnership. Charles believed that such a fort, as large as any on the Missouri River, would be necessary to hold this vast territory against competing traders. The partners selected a site on the north side of the Arkansas River about twelve miles north of the mouth of the Purgatoire River. The fort was constructed around 1833 or 1834, under the Bent's Old Fort 2 f direction of William Bent. Since suitable timber was not .' available, the trading post was built of adobe. The new trading establishment was one of the largest in the trans-Mississippi west. For fifteen years, Bent's Fort dominated a vast area of the West. Its domain extended over much of present day Colorado, western Nebraska and Kansas, southern Wyoming, northern New Mexico, and the Oklahoma and Texas Panhandles. During its existence, Bent's Fort was the principal outpost of civilization on the southwestern plains, and the only white establishment west of Independence, Missouri. Employing normally about sixty men, it required the specialized services of numerous tradesmen. Along with its important trade functions, the fort was a favorite congregating point for traders and mountain men in the southwest. Since it was the only place in the region where they might obtain merchandise for another season; traders and trappers came to the fort, and it became a center for social gatherings and exchanges of information. Even before it was finished Bent's Fort was a principal point of contact between the Indians and the whites on the southwestern plains. Situated on the borders of various hunting grounds, it had a great advantage over any other location. With the outbreak of the Mexican War in 1846, Bent's Fort assumed a new role. The war caused the New Mexican trade to come ' to an abrupt end and the Indian trade declined. The fort's Bent's Old Fort 3 I location halfway between the Missouri River and Santa Fe, made it an ideal location as a supply depot for the Americans operating in New Mexico, but with the decline of trade, the fort's importance also declined. Following his appointment as Governor of New Mexico in 1846, Charles Bent was brutally murdered. St. Vrain decided to withdraw from the business and devote his attention to a holding he owned in Colorado and New Mexico, which left William Bent as sole owner of the fort. In 1852-1853, unable to sell the structure, William Bent built a new stone fort, known as Bent's New Fort, at Big Timbers, on the Arkansas River. The 01 d Fort was part i a 11 y destroyed, reportedly set on fire by Bent himself. After its abandonment, the fort continued to deteriorate. The adobe walls crumbled rapidly and many of the bricks were hauled away by neighboring ranchers. The movement to preserve the remains of Bent's Old Fort has been long and sustained. In 1910, the Oau~hters of the American Revolution placed a marker near the site. In 1928, the owners deeded much of the site to the D.A.R., and in 1954, the D.A.R. transferred its ownership to the State Historical Society of Colorado. As a part of the National Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings of the National Park Service, Bent's Old Fort was recommended in 1959 for fu rt her study as a nation a 1 park. That same year, a bill was enacted by Congress, authorizing establishment of Bent's Old Fort Historic Site. Bent's Old Fort 4 I ( After a series of archeological digs on the site, the Fort was ! rebuilt by the Park Service in the early 1970's, and it continues as a popular historic site in southeastern Colorado. Bent's Old Fort 5 I .' Scope and Contents Bent's Old Fort was the first major white settlement in Colorado. It served as an important trading and social center in the unsettled West, and made further settlement possible. The collection contains material assembled during the intense research that was done before and during the fort's restoration. The series include: Correspondence (1952-1975); Primary Research Material (1807-1929); Secondary Research Material (1839-1975); Miscellaneous Material (1910-1975); and Oversized Material (undated). A portion of this collection was donated in 1988 by Enid Thompson. All photographs have been transferred to the Colorado Historical Society's Department of Photography. Bent's Old Fort 6 I Chronology 1768 Silas Bent is born in Massachusetts. 1799 November 11: Charles Bent is born in Charleston, Virginia. 1801 July 18: Juliannah Bent is born in Charleston, Virginia. 1803 May 31: John Bent is born in Charleston, Virginia. 1806 Silas is appointed principal deputy surveyor for the new territory of Louisiana. 1809 May 23: William Bent is born in St. Louis, Missouri. 1809 Silas is appointed presiding judge in the St. Louis court of common pleas. 1824 George and William Bent, along with Ceran St. Vrain, make their first journey to the upper Arkansas area. They form a partnership which will become Bent, St. Vrain & Company. 1827 November 20: Silas Bent dies in St. Louis, Missouri. 1828 The Bent Company begins construction of Bent's Old Fort on the Arkansas River. 1829 Charles and William Bent join a caravan of traders setting out for Santa Fe where they set up a mercantile business. 1833 Construction of Bent's Old Fort is completed. 1835 William Bent marries Owl Woman, a Cheyenne Indian. 1837 Bent, St. Vrain, and Co. build Fort St. Vrain a few miles north of Fort Vasquez. 1846 The Mexican War begins. 1846 Charles Bent is made first territorial governor of New Mexico. 1847 Charles Bent is killed in Taos, New Mexico. ( 1849 Bent's Old Fort is abandoned and partially destroyed. Bent's Old Fort 7 1859 Bent's New Fort is 1 eased to the U.S. War Department. Its name is eventually changed to Fort Wise, and later to Fort Lyon. 1859 William Bent is appointed Indian agent for the upper Arkansas River area. 1861 The buildings of Bent's Old Fort are repaired and become the headquarters for several stage lines. 1868 May 23: William Bent dies at Fort Lyon. 1870 October 29: Ceran St. Vrain dies in New Mexico. 1875 The stage lines abandon Bent's Old Fort. 1910 The Daughters of the American Revolution install a stone monument to mark the sight of Bent's Old Fort. 1954 The Daughter of the American Revolution transfer the property to the Colorado Historical Society. 1963 The Colorado Historical Society transfers the property to the National Park Service. 1975 Reconstruction of Bent's Old Fort begins. ( Bent's Old Fort 8 Collection Contents Correspondence (1952-1975) FF Description Date Letters regarding Bent's Fort 2/1/1952-3/31/1955 2 Letters regarding Bent's Fort 4/8/1955-7/29/1957 3 Letters regarding Bent's Fort 10/14/1957-4/4/1960 4 Letters regarding Bent's Fort 9/26/1960-5/9/1972 5 Letters regarding Bent's Fort 5/30/1972-6/12/1975 Primary Research Material (1807-1929) 6 Notes regarding Bent's Fort 1807-1843 7 Military correspondence 1825-1849 8 Auguste Chateau estate inventory 1829 Will of MariaM. Baca 5/14/1832 Will of Antonio M. Sanches 5/23/1839 Photocopy of picture of Mary Bent undated Moore 9 Personal accounts regarding 1835-1934 Bent, s Fort 10 Legal document in Spanish 10/7/1836 Legal document in Spanish 7/5/1840 1 1 Invoices of supplies 1838-1840 1 2 Invoice of Bent, St. Vrain, and 1839 Company 13 Note of payment by W.J. Williams 1943 14 Letter to W. Bent from c. 2/11/1845 St. Vrain Extracts from a letter by 1907 P.G. Scott 1 5 Three letters regarding Bent's 1866 Fort ( Bent's Old Fort 9 f 16 Letter to [unknown] from 2/24/1867 : C.S. Frances 1 7 Receipt from W.W. Bent 12/5/1867 18 Receipt of estate of G. Bent 7/26/1869 19 The Prowers Account Book 1869-1872 Daybook listing customers and purchases, including supplies, sundries and 1 i vest ock 20 Letter to W.C.
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