35110 Highway 194E, La Junta, CO 81050-9523
Phone: 719-383-5010
Fax: 719-383-5031
Open All Year
Overview. This adobe outpost, located on the Mountain Branch of the Santa Fe Trail, flourished in the 1830s and '40s as the region's center of trade. It was founded in 1833 by brothers Charles and William Bent and their partner, Ceran St. Vrain, who had left St. Louis to make a new start on the western frontier. The fort employed anywhere from 15 to 60 workers, and served as a rest stop for merchants and traders. Mexican, American, and Native American goods were traded here; William Bent was on excellent terms with local tribes and was said to have persuaded them to trade peaceably within the fort. He was befriended by the Cheyenne and married Owl Woman, daughter of Gray Thunder, a ceremonial leader. The prosperity of the fort would not last, however. In 1846, Congress declared war on Mexico and used Bent's Fort as a military supply depot. Increased travel across the Mountain Branch of the trail during and after the war damaged many of the area's natural resources, which in turn strained relations with local tribes. By 1850, William Bent torched parts of the trading post and moved to a new fort along the Arkansas River. The fort's 33 rooms, made of adobe, have been reconstructed from the ground up based on historical records, drawings, and archaeological research. The fort is furnished with antique period pieces and reproductions; a replica billiards table and a replica 1840's freight wagon are featured. What to see and do. An orientation film about the history of the fort and its founders starts you off on your tour. You'll be escorted around this "living museum" by costumed guides, or use a park brochure for a self-guided tour. You may feel as if you've stepped backward in time as "employees" in period costume work at such tasks as blacksmithing, fur pressing, trading, and cooking. Special events include July 4th celebrations, featuring an old-time meal, speeches, games from the time, and demonstrations of life at the fort. Parents are cautioned to watch their children on the upper gallery, which has no handrails. The site is open daily from 9am to 4pm, with hours extended from 8am-530pm during summer. It is located 8 miles east of La Junta and 15 miles west of Las Animas.
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