Fort Vasquez
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fort Vasquez is a former fur trading post 35 miles NE of Denver, Colorado founded by Louis Vasquez and Andrew Sublette in 1835. Restored by the WPA in 1930s, it now lies in a rather incongruous position as US85 now splits to run either side of the building. It is run as a museum by the Colorado Historical Society to display exhibits of the fur-trade era.
[edit] Fur Trading Post
The present day Fort Vasquez located, literally, on Highway 85, next to Platteville, Colorado is a reconstruction of the adobe trading post established by the trappers Louis Vasquez and Andrew Sublette. They originally built the fort in 1835 after obtaining a trading license in St. Louis, Missouri, from William Clark, the Superintendent of Indian Affairs. They traded with other furriers, trappers, mountain men, and Native American tribes (including the Arapaho and Cheyenne), amidst competition with other trade posts. Unable to turn a profit, they sold Fort Vasquez to Lock and Randolph in 1840 who subsequently went bankrupt and abandoned the structures in 1842. Due to the bankruptcy, Louis Vasquez and Andrew Sublette could not collect the sum owed to them for the sale.
[edit] References
- Lecompte, Janet; Pueblo, Hardscrabble, Greenhorn: Society on the High Plains, 1832—1856; University of Oklahoma Press; Norman; 1978; ISBN 0-8061-1723-0
- Noel, Thomas J. and Faulkner, Debra B; Colorado: An Illustrated History of the Highest State; American Historical Press; Sun Valley, California; 2006; ISBN 13: 978-1-892724-52-6; ISBN 10: 1-892724-52-9
- Brotemarkle, Diane; Old Fort St. Vrain: Diane Brotemarkle; 2001; Johnson Printing; Boulder, Colorado; ISBN 0-9712372-0-4
[edit] External links
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