In the spring and summer of 1852, the US Army built its first fort, called Fort Massachusetts, in the San Luis Valley. For the people from the Tewa/Tiwa-speaking pueblos along the Rio Grande, it is a different spiritual link. Some talk about it, but few have seen it. In 1945 the Colorado Historical Society bought the site. The wealth of their knowledge speaks of the kinds of joys and struggles experienced by people everywhere. Phil Carson, Fort Garland Museum: A Capsule History and Guide (Denver: Colorado Historical Society, 2005). By the end of November 1806, Pike and his men had reached the site of todays Pueblo, Colorado. What will bring you? Under the direction of Anne Bond, the investigation has explored the foundations of the forts original buildings and excavated old trash deposits to try to find out more about life at the fort in the nineteenth century. This included the San Luis Valley. Although minute quantities of gold were recovered, the technique was too labor intensive, the stream too seasonaland the pay-out too smallto support any business for long. MLS 7779305. The 1863 Treaty of Conejos attempted to impose limits on Ute territory. The five remaining buildings were restored, with new roofs, adobe bricks, and interior fittings. By that time all but five of the original twenty-two buildings had been demolished or had deteriorated beyond repair. Fort Garland, Colorado - Activities and Events | Costilla County In 1868 he helped arrange an agreement by which Ute chiefs would give up their claims in much of central Colorado, including the San Luis Valley. Therefore, few Utes abided by the terms of the agreement. After the army left, the fort and its land reverted to the Trinchera Estate, which had acquired the title from Gilpin. . The five remaining buildings were restored, with new roofs, adobe bricks, and interior fittings, and the restored Fort Garland opened as a museum in 1950. A&S Construction Co. of Canon City, CO is the prime contractor on this $5 million project. Also, the building failed to give soldiers enough protection from the valleys hard winters. Information about weekly lane closures is available at, . The Fort Garland CDP has an area of 240 acres (0.973km2), all land.[1]. In January 1807, his expedition crossed Medano Pass into the San Luis Valley. [6] Fort Garland is at the crossroads of U.S. Route 160 and Colorado State Highway 159, which leads south towards Taos and Santa Fe, New Mexico. Walsenburg is 47 miles (76km) to the east, across the Sangre de Cristo Range. 2023 Colorado Tourism Office. Fort Garlands most famous and perhaps most successful commander during these years was the legendary mountain man and army officer Kit Carson (180968). In the early 1850s, Beaubien encouraged Hispano families from the Taos Valley in New Mexico to move north and establish colonies in the San Luis Valley along Rio Culebra. [4] At the United States Census 2020, the population of the Fort Garland CDP was 464. THIS EVENING: I-25 South Gap Open House to discuss new traffic impacts from Sky View Lane to Greenland Road, Partial Closures on US 50 in Fremont County, CO, US 285 Lane Closures and Traffic Delays - Alternative Routes Suggested, Projects: CO 159 Resurfacing Fort Garland to San Luis. The reconstruction was performed prior to any archaeological work at the site. In what became known as the Meeker Massacre, Utes killed Indian agent Nathan Meeker and ten others at the White River Agency. The trail followed the Arkansas River west into what is now Colorado. Fort Garland continues to operate as a regional museum devoted to the history of the San Luis Valley. In January 1807 his expedition crossed Medano Pass into the San Luis Valley. The Town of Fort Garland, a small rural community, rich in history, is referred to as the "Gateway to the San Luis Valley", as it is the first town you encounter once you have traveled West over La Veta Pass from the Colorado Front Range. After decades of neglect, the fort was restored in the mid-twentieth century. Fort Garland operated as a US Army post in the San Luis Valley from 1858 to 1883 as part of the conquest of the region. Ft. 2416 Slegers Rd, Fort Garland, CO 81133. 2 (1966). At the same time, the Comanche dominated the high plains east of the Rocky Mountains. This became clear during the winter of 185556, when scurvy and subzero temperatures made the troops sick and miserable. Webs of commerce were beginning to bind the valley to the cultures just beyond its borders. Carson arrived in May 1866 with four companies of New Mexico Volunteers. Fort Garlands most famous and perhaps most successful commander during these years was the legendary mountain man and army officer Kit Carson (180968). Mexico claimed the San Luis Valley. He wanted them to build colonies in the valley along Rio Culebra. In the agreement, the Utes would give up their claims to much of central Colorado. Carson left Fort Garland in October 1867, but the peace he forged lasted until 1879, at least in the San Luis Valley. Although many settlers arrived in the San Luis Valley via the trails from Santa Fe or La Veta Pass, several routes over the Sangre de Cristo Mountains into the San Luis Valley were well-known to American Indians and increasingly used by settlers in the late 1800s. Fort Garland, Colorado is neither a fort or a town. This is where the precise boundaries of the Purchase were disputed. Fifteen companies were stationed at the fort for a short time. In 1880 the troops at Fort Garland helped escort the Utes out of the Rocky Mountains to new reservations in Utah and in far southwestern Colorado near the New Mexico border. Information about weekly lane closures is available at https://www.codot.gov/travel/scheduled-lane-closures.html. About History Colorado History Colorado's eight museums around the state are now reopening to visitors. The Annual Fort Garland Band Jam Music Festival features local and regional musicians, as well as nationally and internationally recognized musical talent. No weekend work is anticipated. Buffalo Soldiers, 1876-1879 Presently, Fort Garland is an unincorporated town in the county of Costilla Colorado and is comprised of 240 acres. The goal is to improve the safety of Colorados transportation network by reducing the rate and severity of crashes and improving the safety of all transportation modes. The Fort Garland Museum and Cultural Center in the San Luis Valley is hosting a free, bilingual and virtual event exploring this history on Thursday, Sept. 30, at 6 p.m. Gilpin began to charge the army $100 per month for its lease. This website is created to provide information about the Fort Garland area, and to act as a resource for the residents of this great community. The cold took the lives of many men. Before the time of the original Fort Garland or even before the first established Fort Massachusetts (1852), numerous tribes of Native Americans passed through this area and on into the San Luis Valley. In 1945 the Colorado Historical Society acquired the site. The army paid for the bodies of all soldiers buried at Fort Garland (except those with strong family ties to the area) to be exhumed and reburied at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The five remaining buildings were restored, with new roofs, adobe bricks, and interior fittings, and the restored Fort Garland opened as a museum in 1950. By that time all but five of the original twenty-two buildings had been torn down or were beyond repair. This battle, which has been called the Gettysburg of the West, effectively ended the Civil War in the western territories. Undeterred, the association went around the San Luis Valley selling $5 shares to ranchers, farmers, and businesspeople. The CO 159 resurfacing project includes surface treatment, leveling course to smooth the roadway, final overlay, shouldering, new signing and new pavement markings. Troops from the fort set out to punish Indigenous resistance to invading Hispano and Anglo-American colonists. The troops at Fort Massachusetts lowered their flag on June 24, 1858. Undeterred, the association went around the San Luis Valley selling $5 shares to ranchers, farmers, and businesspeople. About Us - Trinchera Ranch The purpose of the association was to save what remained of the fort. After this work is complete, crews will begin overlay work. 11999 State Highway 150 However, the hike to the falls requires wading over slippery rocks into a rock crevasse. Fort Garland's diverse history is an important part of the cultural heritage of the San Luis Valley. In southwestern Colorado, however, prospectors in the La Plata and San Juan Mountains soon came into conflict with the Utes who had moved there. These walls were to help protect soldiers from the cold San Luis Valley winters. Workers used concrete blocks and stucco rather than adobe bricks. Visitor Center Fort Garland | Articles | Colorado Encyclopedia On July 8, the Colorado Department of Transportation will begin construction on Colorado Highway 159 in Costilla County. Gilpin began to charge the army $100 per month for its lease. Fort Garland continues to operate as a regional museum devoted to the history of the San Luis Valley. Construction efforts will consist of resurfacing CO 159 from Fort Garland to San Luis. In southwestern Colorado, prospectors in the La Plata and San Juan Mountains soon came into conflict with Utes who had moved there. The Colorado Historical Society has done a complete archaeological investigation at the site. By that time all but five of the original twenty-two buildings had been demolished or had deteriorated beyond repair. 5 Boulder Avenue Blanca , Colorado 1 Beds 1 Baths 640 SqFt 5 Acres Active Listing courtesy of Mtn. San Luis Hills (Thompson and Machette, 1989) Fort Garland SW (Kirkham and Heimsoth, 2002) Taylor Ranch (Kirkham and others, 2003) San Luis (this map) 37 3715' 10530' 10515' Sanchez Reservoir and Garcia (partial), (Thompson and others, 2007) INDEX MAP SHOWING SOURCES OF GEOLOGIC DATA. The association tried to get help from the Colorado Historical Society (now History Colorado) and the National Park Service to buy the site. This browser is no longer supported. This small town, the county seat, was once called San Luis de Culebra in honor of its patron saint and is the largest town in Costilla County, with a 2019 population of 658. Members of the Ladies P.E.O. Colorado's Los Caminos Antiguos Scenic Byway explores the wide and flat expanse of the valley floor that served as a gateway into Colorado for Spanish explorers arriving from the south. It consisted of a rectangle of single-story buildings with adobe walls three feet thick to help protect soldiers from the cold valley winters. Even during periods of relative peace, they still had to fight the biting cold of winter in the high desert, which claimed the lives of many men. Within months, General William Tecumseh Sherman advised the secretary of war that Fort Garland was obsolete and ought to be abandoned. At the end of November 1883, the fort was decommissioned and its remaining troops moved to Fort Lewis, near Durango. 24492 Trinchera Ranch Road North, Fort Garland, CO, USA Map & Directions Menu. They dug up old trash deposits to try to find out more about life at the fort in the nineteenth century. The Trinchera Timber Company rented the forts buildings in 191215, before William H. Meyer bought the fort and began to live in the old commanders quarters. The idea that the Dunes could be destroyed by gold mining or concrete-making alarmed residents of Alamosa and Monte Vista. Learn more on our Old Spanish Trail page. Based at nearby Fort Garland, the 9th Cavalry once even evicted white setters who had encroached on recognized Ute tribal lands. Fort Garland has a business district with two motels, several restaurants, the Old Fort Market grocery store, the Fort Garland Museum, two gas stations, two recreational marijuana shops, a car wash, hair salon, campgrounds, hardware store, liquor store, and multiple shops featuring collectibles and antiquities as well as a Wild West show. . Costilla County. County Assessor P.O. Just then, however, the Great Depression hit. Charles Beaubien acquired the land grant that encompassed much of the valley. Milling at the north and south ends of the project is set to begin late summer 2019. Fifteen companies were temporarily stationed at the fort, most of them forced by lack of space to live in tents throughout the bone-chilling winter. Under the terms of the deal, the army agreed to pay Charles Beaubien rent of one dollar per year for twenty-five years. The armys lease on Fort Garland ran out at the end of June 1882. In one of historys many ironies, the soldiers stationed at Fort Garland and tasked with securing Colorado for primarily white Anglo settlement in these years were a diverse lot. Lot 1319 Michaels Rd, Fort Garland, CO 81133 - Redfin He was a famous mountain man. Webs of commerce began to bind the valley to the cultures just beyond its borders. About Us | Costilla County - Colorado Many family names were established and continue to be an integral part of this great community. The railroad served as a symbol that the valley was being fully incorporated into American society and would not remain a frontier much longer. The 1863 Treaty of Conejos attempted to impose limits on Ute territory, but it was only signed by one band of Utes.