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.

99.9 KEKB - Grand Junction's Favorite Country logo
Get our free mobile app

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.

Read More: Did the Old Spanish Trail Go Through Grand Junction?

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.

Read More: The Legacy Of Cottonwood Trees And Ute Culture In Colorado

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

LOOK: All the Places You Can Standup Paddle Board Around Montrose Colorado

Looking for places in Montrose to get out and paddle? Stand Up Paddleboards are a fun way to enjoy the sunshine and blue skies over western Colorado. While water levels will be highest early in the season, it is possible that some reservoirs dry up by the late summer.
If you are in Montrose and want to SUP, here are several options for getting out on the water.

Gallery Credit: Wes Adams

MORE: See All 22 of Delta, Colorado's Downtown Murals

The city of Delta, Colorado came up with a great idea back in 1986 to dedicate the sides of several historic buildings throughout the downtown area as a space for murals and public art. Have you seen all twenty-two murals in downtown Delta? Well, you can now.

Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams

More From 99.9 KEKB - Grand Junction's Favorite Country