May 14

Sorry for the delay in posting comments for the 14th. The structure at Bent’s Old Fort is a reconstruction. The original fort went the way of the winds many decades ago. The fort was fashioned of adobe, back in 1833, by brothers William and Charles Bent. Though the term “fort” is used, the purpose was for trading between trappers, frontiersmen, settlers, Arapaho and Cheyenne. Granted, the fort had defenses, because there were plenty of folks looking for easy pickings in those days. Does the term “piracy” mean anything? The fort sat aside the Santa Fe Trail, so plenty of movement in both East and West directions. For a period of time, it was the only “white outpost” between Missouri and Mexican settlements. I had some fun, before the fort opened, walking with a big bird. It kept pecking the ground. Prior to joining me at the front gate, it had sat on one of the fort’s walls calling out to whomever would listen. It scurried off as other visitors started the 300-yard walk from the parking lot. To gain access to the interior of the fort one has to pay an entrance fee. There are 108 NPS parks which have entry fees.

The swollen Arkansas River was just to the south of the fort. Snowmelt was still dictating flowrate. I walked by the fort’s cemetery on the way back to the car. Only one person has a headstone. Edward Dorris died in 1865, well after the fort had ceased operations, in 1849, due to diseases and disasters. But the Santa Fe Trail continued into the 1870s (until replaced by the Iron Horse), and Dorris died while traveling on this route.

A few miles to the east, in Granada, is Amache NHS, also known as Granada Relocation Center. This was one of ten sites used by the U.S. Government during WW2 to detain Japanese citizens. Over 10,000 people were held at Granada. Currently, the only trail at the park is a short walk at the entrance. I parked the car, walked the fifty yards while reading a few placard signs, and stopped at the Honor Roll structure. A diagram of the center indicated it had a similar layout to that of Manzanar (I stopped there last month, in California). The first NPS site manager will begin his assignment on May 21. This shows progress in getting the site changed from “authorized” to “established”, but I have a feeling it will be a few years before this unit becomes an “official” park. Though the park is on the west side of town, and I was coming in from the west, it did not look like Granada has any services. Be sure to get gas and food back in La Junta, or nearby Lamar.

A 40-minute drive to the north put me at Sand Creek Massacre NHS. You have to drive on dirt/gravel roads to reach the site, from either US385 or CO-96. But in this case, the roads are graded, easily allowing 55 mph without issue. This park was established in 2007. That means 16 years has passed with the bookstore/VC still in a trailer. The first time I visited one had to walk out to the overlook of the bend in Big Sandy Creek where the massacre happened. When I made my second visit a road had been added, allowing accessibility to the overlook. Cannot say much else has been added since. This area is sacred to the Arapaho and Cheyenne people, where 230 of their ancestors were slaughtered in an unprovoked assault by units of the U.S. Military assigned in Colorado. Over 700 Indians were encamped here, waiting for the go-ahead to travel the 40 miles to enter Fort Lyon as part of recent peace accords. Of the 700+ soldiers who arrived the morning of November 29, 1864, there is documentation that around 100 refused to participate in the attack. But that did not alter the horror which transpired.

Fort Larned was a good three hours drive to the east. I just had to stay on CO-96, which turned into KS-96. Hard to get lost out in the Plains, because all roads go N-S or E-W. Eventually you will come to some road whose number/name you recognize. The skies poured rain for most of the distance which helped clear the Chaco Culture dust and sand off the car. Unlike Bent’s, this fort was designed for military actions. The soldiers became known as the “Guardians of the Santa Fe Trail”. The fort operated during the Indian Wars era. Initially, there were no hostilities between Comanche, Arapaho, and tradesmen. The Santa Fe Trail began in 1821. But, by the 1860s, the natives had started taking advantage of the many travelers, prompting the U.S. Government to build Fort Larned, in 1865, and other fortifications. Fort Zarah and Fort Dodge were the closest sister forts. Fort Larned soldiers would patrol the trail 70 miles to the east and west. Most of the buildings in the park were open for visitors to tour. I enjoyed seeing what the enlisted men had to endure in their barracks. Not much privacy back in those days. Officers Row buildings showed how Lieutenants would have a single room to themselves. There are perks to being an officer. A 12-pounder cannon is on display at the park. Word is that the fort had four of these guns. Even though they could fire over 1,000 yards, the Indians were too nimble on horseback for the shells to have any effect.

I stayed at the Best Western in Great Bend for the night. A treat in the morning was being given a voucher for breakfast at the neighboring Perkins. The hotel feels it is easier to pay Perkins for each guest than to maintain its own breakfast area. This was a welcome change from standard hotel fare. The Perkins in Northeast Ohio are closing (I do not know why), so I enjoyed the food. But now it was May 15, so look to the next blog.