Form 10-300 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR (July 1969) NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Colorado COUNTY; NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES Weld INVENTORY - NOMINATION FORM FOR NPS USE ONLY ENTRY NUMBER (Type all entries — complete applicable sections) wimtmm Fort Vasquez AND/OR HISTORIC: Fort Vasquez Trading post STREET AND NUMBER: 5,500 ft. south of 4821 Bench Mark, PlatteviJLle., o ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————lifci ———-Ort i i CITY OR TOWN: Platteville Colorado Wel CATEGORY TCESSIBLE OWNERSHIP (Checfc One) 'TO THE PUBLIC District Q Building Public Public Acquisition: [~| Occupied Yes: Q Restricted Site Q Structure Private || In Process P~| Unoccupied J2 Unrestricted D Object Both | | Being Considered (5JJ Preservation work in progress a NO PRESENT USE (Check One or More as Appropriate) I I Agricultural | | Government D Park I I Transportation I I Comments | | Commercial | | Industrial I | Private Residence n Other (Specify) US Educational ED Military I | Religious I I Entertainment Fjr] Museum I | Scientific OWNER'S NAME: State Historical: Society of Colorado STREET AND NUMBER: Cl TY OR TOWN: Denver Colorado CJb COURTHOUSE, REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC: State Museum STREET AND NUMBER: 200 Fourteenth Avenue Cl TY OR TOWN: Denver Colorado 05 iiililiilliiiilillillliiliilsiiiiii;: TITLE OF SURVEY: Fort Vasquez Overall Map of Archaeology DATE OF SURVEY: AUgUSt 1966 Federal State | | County Local DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS: State Museum of Colorado STREET AND NUMBER: 200 Fourteenth Avenue CITY OR TOWN: Denver Colorado 05 3 (Check One) | | Excellent n Good U Fair [ | Deteriorated 1 ) Ruins I 1 Unexposed CONDITION (Check One) (Check One) Q Altered Unaltered d Moved \ | Original Site Visitors to the Fort in 1839 and 1840 viewed the trading post as being quite substantial. Within it were living ^quarters, a barn, storage areas, and stalls for trade. The walls were described as being pierced by rifle ports for defense. Guard towers located oh"two corners of the post also served as defense installations. Contemporary records cite the approximate dimensions of the trading post. The walls were described as being twelve feet high and constructed of adobe. The fort was approximately 100 feet square. The original foundations were sandstone. Today, the site is occupied by a visitors' center and exhibit area, and a WPA reconstruction. Within the visitors' center are exhibited items pertaining to Colorado's early fur trade as it related to the Vasquez trading post. The WPA structure is not considered to be very authentic. Fortunately, it does not occupy the exact site of the original post, being aligned a few feet to one side of the original foundations. Because of these facts, a historical archaeology project has been jundertaken to establish the exact dimensions of the fort, as well as recovering items of historical interest for exhibit at the center. This archaeological project has been underway since 1963, when the visitors' center was proposed. It continues today, providing an accurate picture of the fort's physical nature. *.'':. - ' - ••- - Note: Only the site of the Fort Vasquez trading post is being nominated for inclusion on the Register. Neither the WPA reconstruction nor the Visitors' Center are being considered as applicable to the list. PERIOD (check One or More as Appropriate) |~t Pre-Columbian | d 16th Century 18th Century Q 20th Century Q 15th Century D 17th Century 19th Century SPECIFIC DATEtS> (If Applicable and Known) £, . 1835 AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE (Check One or More as Appropriate) Aboriginal [~\ Education j~~] Political [ [ Urban Planning Q Prehistoric [ 1 Engineering Q Religion/Phi- ] Other (Specify.) [~l Historic [ [ Industry losophy Development [~~) Agriculture O Invention Q Science of West___ {"~| Architecture [H Landscape Q Sculpture D Art Architecture Q Sociol/Human- (3 Commerce D Literature itorian Q Communications [3 Military Q Theater 1 | Conservation I I Music | | Transportation STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE Built circa 1835, the "Fort" was in reality a trading designed to carry on trade with Indians along the South platte r River. -LQjoi.^ATa.sgue.z: and An(ir,ew_0uBjLette / both mountain men, were the originators of the adobe and sandstone post. Such things as nails, knives, food, cooking implements and "Taos Lightning" (whisky) were brought in by wagon to U the Fort for exchange with the Indians. The chief commodity of the Indians was buffalo, hides and robes. Other items of trade were occasional be4ver___skins and gold dust. uo Vasquez and Sublette sold Fort Vasquez in 1840 or 1841, due to the heavy competition imposed by trading forts located nearby, also on the South Platte. UJ Today, a visitors' center and a nearby WPA restoration LJ of the trading post are maintained by the State to tell of "Colorado's early fur trade and of the mountain men" who ventured into business matters. In addition, the State is conducting archaeological research on the original foundations to better determine the physical nature of Fort Vasquez. "Fort Vasquez" pamphlet by staf.f of State Historical Society of Colorado The Colorado Magazine by the St<ate Historical Society of Colorado, Vol. 2 7, pp. 163 and 171, Vol. 35, p. 159 V °f, o Nj o O) LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES LATITUDE AND LONGITUDE COORDINATES e DEFINING A RECTANGLE LOCATING THE PROPERTY ' } DEFINING THE CENTER POINT OF A PROPERTY _ OF LESS THAN TEN ACRES ———————— ——————————————————————— ——————————————————————— | CORNER LATITUDE LONGITUDE LATITUDE ^ LONGITUDE Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds Degrees Minutes Seconds NW ° ° 40° 11' 40 '• 104 ° 49 ' 13 " NE ° ° SE ° ' " o , SW o , . o , » APPROXIMATE ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY: j ^ggg tfaSH tOH SCrfiS (1 aCP6 ) ts* |LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE: CODE COUNTY CODE m m STATE: CODE COUNTY: CODE STATE: CODE COUNTY: X^VUJ/,/>x^"f"" 1 "T""-^ CODE ._. , Asv .sV.',V If • - ..JL-.m. ,..—. v---" .- .A, STATE: CODE COUNTY: /O-' ptnfi\/rr v CODE --V/ ' ' i-L.,'..; '. u i-- i, , (= NAME AND TITLE: ' '- Robert Fink, Assistant to the Dirfectbf ' i OMAL ^ n ORGANIZATION • ttA**E' '•- ' ' /'^ /' H State Historical. Society of Colorado 1/14/70 STREET AND NUMBER: ' ' ' O 200 Fourteenth Avenue ;• .,• z CITY OR TOWN: STATE CODE Denver Colorado 05 ^M^i^M^^^^^Miiiiiiii^iiiiiiiii As the designated State Liaison Officer for the Na­ I hereby certify that this property is included in the tional Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665), I hereby nominate this property for inclusion National Register. ^_^ in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set fwMtdMb^( tAUWLtty-^ forth by the National Park Service. The recommended Chief, Office of Archeology and Historic Presetvation level of significance of this nomination is: National [~1 State [3 Local O SFP 3 0 1970 Date Name4x^£4^C*m. &V* •¥*--& ~i3tep/fen H. jiart ATTEST: Title State Liaison Officer llAttii ^iktu^&oit Keeper of Trj/e National Registefa \IUL 2 m Date Date ^ ^Ft. Vasquez State Historical vfc Monument vsy Colorado St. Highway Dep't Map no scale \t date: circa 19.64 Fort Vasquez State historical Monument U.S.G.S. Map ?.5 minute series ^ ^ ,j Platteville, Colo. Quadrangle iJa 19^-9 ...scale: x ....,..,,.,.,1:2^1-000 .r - ml%p. / NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 10024-0018 *KEfVED 2280 United States Department of the Interior y****«««ta"v National Park Service T '^ (\ I National Register of Historic Places ^ Registration Form * This form is for use in nominating or requesting determination for individual properties and districts. See instruction in HO\ .. Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the information requested. If an item does not apply to the property being documented, enter' N/AMor "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items. 1. Name of Property__________________________________________ historic name Fort Vasquez Trading Post______________________________ other names/site number Fort Vasquez: Fort Vasquez Museum: 5WL568_____________ 2. Location_______________________________________________ street & number 13412 U.S. Highway 85____________________ [N/A] not for publication city or town Platteville_________________________________ [N/A] vicinity state Colorado code CO county Weld code 123 zip code 80651 3- State/Federal Anencv Certification_________________________________________ As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this [X] nomination [ ] request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property [X] meets [ ] does not meet the National Register criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant [ ] nationally [X] statewide [ ] locally. ([ ] See continuation sheet for additional comments.) _____________ _____ State Historic Preservation Officer Signature ot cejjitymg oniciai/