Landscape-Level History of the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Montezuma and Dolores Counties, Colorado
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LANDSCAPE-LEVEL HISTORY OF THE CANYONS OF THE ANCIENTS NATIONAL MONUMENT MONTEZUMA AND DOLORES COUNTIES, COLORADO by Jonathon C. Horn Principal Investigator Alpine Archaeological Consultants, Inc. PO Box 2075 Montrose, CO, 81402 (970)249-6761 Prepared for Canyons of the Ancients National Monument Bureau of Land Management 27501 Highway 184 Dolores, CO 81323 Under terms of Bureau of Land Management Delivery Order No. CAP030371 October 2004 CONTENTS Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 1 Aboriginal Ute and Initial Contact ................................................................................................ 1 Initial Exploration and Early Interactions with the Ute ............................................................. 3 Spanish Trade with the Ute .............................................................................................. 4 Mexican Trade and the Fur Trade Era ............................................................................ 5 U.S. Government Expeditions .......................................................................................... 6 American Incursions and Treaties with the Ute ............................................................. 6 History of the Ute During the Reservation Period ....................................................................... 7 Navajo Occupation .......................................................................................................................... 9 Trading Posts .................................................................................................................................. 9 Cattle Industry ............................................................................................................................. 11 Lower McElmo Allotment ............................................................................................... 15 Lower Aztec Canyon Allotment ...................................................................................... 15 Aztec Canyon Allotment .................................................................................................. 15 Yellowjacket Canyon Allotment ..................................................................................... 15 Cross Canyon Allotment ................................................................................................. 15 Alkali Allotment .............................................................................................................. 16 Trail Canyon and Goodman Allotments ........................................................................ 16 East McElmo Creek Allotment ....................................................................................... 16 Hamilton Mesa Allotment ............................................................................................... 16 Sandstone Allotment ....................................................................................................... 16 Burro Point Community and Burro Individual Allotments .......................................... 17 Range Improvements ...................................................................................................... 17 Historic Native American Conflicts ............................................................................................. 18 Initial Permanent Settlement and Agriculture in the Montezuma Valley ............................... 19 Dry Farming ................................................................................................................................. 21 Communities .................................................................................................................... 23 Supplemental Irrigation .................................................................................................. 29 Roads ............................................................................................................................................. 31 Railroads ....................................................................................................................................... 33 Scientific Investigations ............................................................................................................... 33 Gas and Oil Exploration ............................................................................................................... 35 Mining ........................................................................................................................................... 37 Uranium and Vanadium ................................................................................................. 37 Coal ................................................................................................................................... 39 Monument Place Names .............................................................................................................. 40 Historic Settlement Pattern ......................................................................................................... 41 Expected Site Types Within the Monument Based on the Known History .............................. 41 Historic Native American ............................................................................................... 42 Exploration, Expeditions, and Research ........................................................................ 42 Agriculture ....................................................................................................................... 43 Extractive Industries....................................................................................................... 44 Government ..................................................................................................................... 45 Recreation ........................................................................................................................ 45 Maladaptions ................................................................................................................... 46 Transportation ................................................................................................................. 46 Rock Art............................................................................................................................ 46 Summary of Recorded Historic Sites ........................................................................................... 47 Correlation of Recorded Historic Sites with Historic Data ........................................................ 53 Threats to Historic Sites and Suggested Protective Measures.................................................. 54 Livestock Grazing ............................................................................................................ 54 Chaining ........................................................................................................................... 54 ii CONTENTS (continued) Vehicle and Recreational Use ......................................................................................... 54 Commercial Use ............................................................................................................... 55 Vandalism ........................................................................................................................ 55 Management of Sites and Site Uses ............................................................................................ 55 Scientific Use ................................................................................................................... 55 Conservation for Future Use .......................................................................................... 55 Traditional Use ................................................................................................................ 55 Public Use ........................................................................................................................ 56 Experimental Use ............................................................................................................ 56 Discharged from Use ....................................................................................................... 56 Recommendations ......................................................................................................................... 56 References Cited ........................................................................................................................... 57 TABLES Table 1. General Land Office Township Survey Dates. ......................................................................... 20 Table 2. Residents in McElmo Canyon as Shown on 1889 GLO plats. ................................................. 28 Table 3. Historic Sites Recorded on the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument ...................... 48 FIGURES Figure 1. General location of the Canyons of the Ancients National Monument. ................................. 2 Figure 2. Towns, communities, post offices, and schools. ...................................................................... 24 APPENDICES A. Early Oil and Gas Claims B. Early Oil and Gas Leases C. Uranium Claims March 1953 to March 1955 D. Land Entry Attempts, Patents, and Coal Leases E. Historical and Genealogical Information about Individuals iii Introduction The Canyons of the