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Early history of Fremont County, Colorado

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Main article: Prehistory of Colorado

Early history of Fremont County, Colorado includes life of Native Americans and events prior to the establishment of the Colorado Territory. Paleo-Indians came into the Arkansas River Valley of Fremont County, Colorado more than 10,000 years ago and they and their descendants left evidence of their being there for many centuries. About 700 years ago, Ute people came to Colorado visited the Cañon City area for centuries, enjoying the mild winters, hot springs, and soda springs. A favored area was Temple Canyon along Grape Creek. As European American settlers established themselves, the Utes continued to come to the area and had a peaceful existence with its residents. Plains tribes, like the Arapaho, Comanche, Kiowa, and Cheyenne, and Pueblo people also visited and hunted in the area. After 1863, the Ute were pushed to the Western Slope and then onto Ute Mountain Indian Reservation in southwestern Colorado in the Four Corners region and the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in southern Colorado.

In 1540, explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado claimed the area for Spain. Zebulon Pike explored the Arkansa River area in Colorado in 1806. Part of the Stephen H. Long's Expedition of 1820, included travel from the Canadian River to the Arkansas River. John C. Frémont traveled the Arkansas River area in 1844. On a survey expedition for a railroad in 1848, Frémont traveled to Hardscrabble Creek (near Hardscrabble), Mosca Pass over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, to the San Luis Valley.

The Fort Le Duc trading post was established in the 1830s. From 1844 to 1845, a trading post, an early farming settlement, and cattle ranch supported 70 people at Hardscrabble. European Americans moved into Fremont County in 1859 during the Pike's Peak gold rush.

Native peoples

Paleo-Indians

Starting more than 10,000 years ago, Paleo-Indians (11,500 to 7,500 years ago) inhabited the present-day Cañon City area in Fremont County.[1][2]: 30  Evidence of Paleo-Indians habitation includes fire pits, animal bones, and stone tools, generally projectile points used in hunting.[1] Archaeological sites in Fremont County, particularly around Cañon City, held evidence of Native American habitation, including portable skin tents, wooden articles, hearths, and evidence of stone tool manufacturing.[3] Four Fremont County wilderness areas—Lower Grape Creek, Upper Grape Creek, McIntyre Hills, portions of Beaver Creek—were studied for archaeological evidence of prehistoric life with negligible findings.[2]: 19–23 

Ute people

Charles Craig, Uncompahgre Ute Indian Camp, 1893, Denver Art Museum

Ute people ranged through the area and left traces of their being there 700 years before Europeans appeared.[4][5] They favored the mountains and visited the Arkansas Valley area during seasonal treks to the plains.[5] Utes hunted buffalo,[4] visited the Soda Springs, and camped nearby. They drank the water for its healing properties.[6] One of the city's parks, Temple Canyon, about 30 by 70 feet (9.1 by 21.3 m), would have been accessed after a hike along Grape Creek. A legend states that Blackfeet and Ute warriors fought at the canyon to marry a maiden. It is reportedly the site of a battle between U.S. soldiers and Ute people.[7]: 58 

Chief Ouray

The Tabeguache band of the Uncompahgre Utes, including Chief Ouray and Chipeta, spent the winters at Cañon City due to its hot springs and mild weather.[7]: 12, 104  Dakota Hot Springs are located between Cañon City and Penrose.[8] Hot springs are considered sacred to the Utes.[5] As Cañon City was settled, Utes continued to come to the area where they campled. They were on good terms with the settlers.[5] Ute chief Colorow was a friend of Otto Morganstein, the first settler of Red Canyon Park, north of Cañon City.[7]: 59  Ouray had dinners with local residents and was a friend of Richard Houle of Red Canyon.[5]

Plains and Pueblo people

Plains cultures—including Arapaho, Comanche, Kiowa, and Cheyenne people—visited and hunted the area,[3][9] as did Pueblo people.[4][9]

Fruit-growers

Fremont County has been a fruit-growing area of Colorado at least since settlement during territorial days,[10]: 37  and perhaps before than when Native Americans managed peach and apple orchards in Colorado for generations, after apples and peaches were brought to the New World by the Spanish conquistadors and missionaries.[10]: 6, 10–11 

European-American settlement

When European-Americans began to settle in Colorado, Native American peach orchards were destroyed by American armies to starve and displace Indigenous peoples.[10]: 6, 10–11  Following the Tabeguache Treaty in 1863, Utes were moved west of the Continental Divide of the Rocky Mountains to the Western Slope.[5] Utes were later forcibly removed to reservations: Ute Mountain Indian Reservation in southwestern Colorado in the Four Corners region and the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in southern Colorado.[10]: 37 

Explorers

Arkansas River through Royal Gorge near Cañon City that would have been seen by the explorers

In 1540, explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado claimed the area for Spain. Zebulon Pike explored the Arkansa River area in Colorado in 1806.[4] Pike wrote in his journal about a spring where he built a blockhouse for his company in December that year. The spring is believed to be the Soda Springs that existed in Cañon City.[6] Part of the Stephen H. Long's Expedition of 1820, traveled from the Canadian River to the Arkansas River. John C. Frémont, sent on a series of expeditions from 1842 to 1848 by the United States government, traversed the Arkansas River area in 1844. On a survey expedition for a railroad in 1848, Frémont traveled to Hardscrabble Creek (near Hardscrabble), Mosca Pass over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, to the San Luis Valley. Eleven men were lost in the San Juan Mountains.[11]: 106 

Fur traders

Trading posts were established at Fort Le Duc in the 1830s and Hardscrabble, an early farming settlement and cattle ranch to support 70 people who lived in placitas enclosed within an adobe wall, from 1844 to 1845.[4][11]: 118 

Gold rush

Gold Belt Tour Scenic and Historic Byway

The Pike's Peak gold rush brought people into Fremont County in 1859. One year later, The Cañon City Claim Club was platted.[4] Using Native American trails, Joseph Lamb created a pack trail between Cañon City and Salida in 1860 to deliver supplies to placer mines. Within a few years, a wagon road was constructed along the Arkansas River between Cañon City and Salida.[11]: 92 

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Prehistoric Paleo-Indian Cultures of the Colorado Plains". www.historycolorado.org. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Canon City District Wilderness Planning Amendment. U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. 1982.
  3. ^ a b Royal Gorge Resource Area Resource(s) Management Plan (RMP), Canon City District: Environmental Impact Statement. 1995. pp. 2–65.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Inscription of First People, Explorers & Settlers Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Mead, Earl (April 15, 2019). "Earl Meade: Ute Indians well known visitors". Canon City Daily Record. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  6. ^ a b Johnson, Brooke (August 30, 2020). "Back In Time: Famous Soda Point once a hot spot for locals, visitors". Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c Vinnola, Anne C. (2010). Canon City. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7385-8037-1.
  8. ^ Boster, Seth (October 14, 2018). "Hot springs in Colorado: A reborn soak spot near Colorado Springs". Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  9. ^ a b City of Cafion City Comprehensive Plan Update 2001. URS. 2001. p. 1.
  10. ^ a b c d Schuenemeyer, Jude; Schuenemeyer, Adalyn. Colorado's Fruit Growing History (PDF). Montezuma Orchard Restoration Project, Prepared for History Colorado, State Historical Fund.
  11. ^ a b c Greubel, Rand A. (March 2017). Synthetic Cultural Resource Overview of the Bureau of Land Management’s Royal Gorge Field Office, Eastern Colorado (PDF). Alpine Archaeological Consultants, Inc. for Bureau of Land Management.
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