Colorado's Fort Uncompahgre: 10 Facts You May Not Have Known

One of the first forts built in what would become the state of Colorado was Pike's Stockade, constructed in Conjeos County in 1807. Two forts built by the Spanish came next including Fort Sangre de Cristo (1819) in Costilla County and Fort Talpa (1820) in Huerfano County.

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Colorado's Fort Uncompahgre was constructed around 1828 by Antoine Robidoux, a trader from Santa Fe New Mexico. The fort is believed to be the first ever built on Colorado's Western Slope.

Where is Fort Uncompahgre

When Antoine Robidoux built Fort Uncompahgre (also known as Fort Robidoux) its purpose was non-military, erected as a trading post and a place to secure livestock and other goods. The original site of Fort Uncompahgre has been lost over time, but the reconstruction of the fort was built about two miles from the confluence of the Gunnison and Uncompahgre Rivers in Delta County. The reconstructed fort is part of Confluence Park in the city of Delta.

Mountain Branch Of The Old Spanish Trail

Robidoux was responsible for routes that led travelers through what would be called the Mountain Branch of the Old Spanish Trail. He made sure those who used the trail would be able to find their way to Fort Uncompahgre so that it could always be a popular stop for traders and Ute Indians alike. LegendsofAmerica.com reports the fort lasted 24 years before hostilities between the Utes and Spanish/Mexican travelers ended in violence in 1843.

The Fort Uncompahgre Interpretive Site

Today, guests can visit the Fort Uncompahgre interpretive site six days a week to learn more about the Old Spanish Trail, and what it was like to trade furs, guns, knives, and goods during the early 1800s. Self-guided tours through Fort Uncompahgre cost visitors $3. Each September, Confluence Park hosts the Council Tree Pow Wow American Indian Cultural Festival.

Find 10 facts you may not have known about Fort Uncompahgre in the photo gallery below.

Colorado's Fort Uncompahgre: 10 Facts You May Not Have Known

Colorado's Fort Uncompahgre is believed to be one of the first Anglo settlements built on the Western Slope. Fort Uncompahgre was erected several years before "Bent's Fort' on the Sante Fe Trail. Today, it exists as an interpretive site in Delta, Colorado.

Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams

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