Another Day at Bent's Old Fort

PICTURE #1:A FOGGY RAINY MORNING AT BENTS OLD FORT. OUR INTERPRETER, BOB KISTHART, HEADS FOR THE FRONT GATE TO BEGIN IS DAILY DUTIES OF GREETING TOURISTS AND TAKEN THEM ON GUIDED TOURS. NOTICE THE FOG THROUGH THE FRONT GATE. THIS WAS OUR FIRST RAIN OF ANY MEASURE THIS YEAR. THIS IS VERY ARID COUNTRY, BUT WE ARE BEGINNING TO REACH THE RECORD LOWS ON PRECIPITATION. BOB DRESSES IN FULL COSTUME TO THE 1833-1849 PERIOD AS DO ALL OF OUR OTHER INTERPRETERS. THEY MAKE THE FORT FEEL LIKE YOU ARE ENTERING ANOTHER TIME PERIOD AS YOU WALK THROUGH THE FRONT GATE. IT IS A VERY UNIQUE PLACE AND A MUST SEE FOR ANY HISTORY BUFF.

PICTURE #2:THIS PICTURE WAS TAKEN THE SAME DAY AS THE PICTURE ABOVE, OF OUR FIRST RAINY, FOGGY DAY IN A GOOD LONG TIME. THIS IS TAKEN FROM THE REAR TOP LEVEL OF BENTS OLD FORT LOOKING TOWARD THE FRONT GATE. THE FLAG THAT FLIES IS A 27 STAR FLAG OF THE 1833-1849 PERIOD. IT WAS TAKEN DOWN BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER SHORTLY AFTER I TOOK THIS PHOTO. IT IS NOT VERY OFTEN THAT THIS HAPPENS OUT HERE, IT FLIES MOST OF THE YEAR, AT HALF MAST ON SPECIAL DAYS, FOLDED AND STORED EACH NIGHT FOR SAFE KEEPING. THIS TIME PERIOD IN HISTORY WAS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT TO OUR COUNTRY IN THE OPENING OF THE WILD WEST AND THE ROAD TO SANTE FE.

PICTURE #3:THIS IS AN EXCELLENT PICTURE OF OUR FUR PRESS IN THE CENTER OF THE COURT YARD. IT STANDS OUT VERY WELL IN THE RAIN THAT IS FALLING AND HAS SOAKED THE WOOD, MAKING IT VERY DARK. THIS PRESS WAS USED TO BALE BEAVER AND BUFFALO HIDES INTO BANDED BALES SO THAT MORE PELTS WOULD FIT IN A FREIGHT WAGON AND MAKE THE TRIP TO ST. LOUIS MORE PROFITABLE. THEY USUALLY COULD BALES AS MANY AS 10-12 BUFFALO HIDES TO A BALE. BEAVER OF COURSE WAS A GOOD DEAL MORE. THE MAIN SOURCE OF PELTS WAS THE BUFFALO AT THIS TIME. A LOT OF THE BEAVER HAD ALREADY BEEN DEPLETED MUCH EARLIER THAT 1833.

PICTURE #4:HERE IS BOB KISTHART AGAIN GETTING THE COTTONWOOD FIRE STARTED FOR THE DAY, AND WILL BE KINDLED ALL DAY LONG SO TOURISTS CAN SMELL THE AROMA OF A COOKING FIRE AS THEY ENTER THE FORT GATE. THEY START THIS FIRE EACH MORNING WITH A FLINT AND STEEL, JUST LIKE THEY DID IN 1833-1849 AT BENTS OLD FORT. THE FLAG FLIES AND THE FIRE BURNS, EVEN ON THE NASTIEST DAYS. EARLY MORNING IS A BEAUTIFUL TIME AT THE FORT ON A NICE CALM DAY TO SET BY THE FIRE AND HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE, OR SMOKE THE PIPE. CONVERSATIONS ARE OF EVERY KIND IMAGINABLE.

PICTURE #5THIS IS THE FIRE GOING IN OUR SMALL TRADE ROOM AT THE FRONT GATE THAT THE INDIANS WERE ALLOWED TO COME TO AND MAKE TRADES THROUGH A SMALL WINDOW THAT OPENED TO AN EXTERIOR WALL. THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED IN BENTS OLD FORT PAST THE FRONT GATE WITHOUT WILLIAM BENT'S INVITATION. EVEN THOUGH HE WAS MARRIED TO A CHEYENNE INDIAN WOMAN, (OWL WOMAN ), IT WAS VERY SELDOM THAT THE INDIANS WERE ALLOWED TO COME IN. HE WAS KNOWN THE THE CHEYENNES AS "LITTLE WHITE MAN" AS HE WAS SHORT IN STATURE.YOU CAN SEE WHO RULES THE FORT NOW THESE DAYS. OUR TWO BLACK CATS THAT WE RESCUED FROM THE SHELTER, TAKE PRETTY GOOD CARE OF THINGS AND JUST LOVE FOLLOWING ALL THE TOURISTS AROUND. ONE'S NAME IS CHARLOTTE AND THE OTHER IS NOT CHARLOTTE(SMOKIE), REALLY. CHARLOTTE IS NAMED AFTER THE BLACK COOK THAT CAME IN 1846 AND SMOKIE IS NAMED AFTER THE BLACK BLACKSMITH. BOTH WERE VERY WELL RESPECTED AND WELL PAID FOR THAT ERA.THE TWO BLACK CATS DO A SUPER JOB OF MOUSING AND THAT IS WHY THEY WERE REALLY BROUGHT IN.

A New Year at Bent's Old Fort

THIS IS BENT'S OLD FORT ON A COLD WINTRY DAY WITH WHAT IS LEFT OF OUR FIRST AND ONLY SNOW OF THE YEAR SO FAR. THIS IS TYPICAL TO OUR WEATHER HERE. WE GET MOST OF OUR SNOW IN THE MONTHS OF MARCH AND APRIL. OUR SNOW FALL IS VERY SCARCE MOST YEARS AND SO FAR THIS HAS BEEN A VERY DRY ONE, JUST WHEN WE REALLY NEED IT MOST. WE WILL BEGIN TO READY THE FORT FOR THE EARLY TOURIST SEASON STARTING VERY SOON. WE ARE ALREADY STARTING TO HAVE LARGE SCHOOL GROUPS IN FOR THE SPRING OUTINGS. WE LIKE TO SEE THE KIDS OUT TO SEE A PIECE OF OUR HISTORY. IF YOU HAVE NOT VISITED US YET, WHY NOT PUT IN ON YOUR VACATION PLANS TO COLORADO THIS YEAR. IT IS REALLY WORTH SEEING.

THIS IS A GOOD PHOTO OF SOME OF THE DRIED FOODS HANGING IN THE KITCHEN. THEY DID NOT HAVE A GREAT SELECTION OUT HERE ON THE PRAIRIES BACK IN 1833. THEY WERE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE WHAT YOU SEE HERE SOME OF THE TIME. THEY TRIED TO GARDEN HERE, BUT WERE NEVER TO SUSTAIN A RELIABLE CROP. IT IS MUCH TO ARID HERE AND ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE INDIANS GETTING IN TO IT AND TRAMPLING IT OUT. THEY PRETTY MUCH HAD TO RELY ON THE RETURN WAGONS FROM SANTA FE TO BRING UP A LOT OF THE NEEDED SUPPLIES FOR COOKING. OF COURSE THERE WAS ALWAYS PLENTY OF MEATS, COFFEE, FLOUR, TOBACCO AND WHISKEY.

THIS IS JUST A SMALL PORTION OF THE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO THE BLACKSMITH(SMOKEY WAS THE NAME IN 1840'S) HE WAS UP BEFORE DAWN AND STILL WORKING INTO THE NIGHT MANY OF THE DAYS. YOU COULD HERE THE RING OF HIS HAMMER FOR A LONG WAY AROUND. YOU COULD SEE THE GLOW OF THE FORGE AND SMELL THE OF THE HOT STEEL AND GLOWING COALS. HARDLY ANY ONE WAS MORE IMPORTANT TO THE EXISTENCE OF THE FORT THAN "SMOKEY"

THIS WAS THE PRIDE OF THE BENT'S OLD FORT. IF THEY DID NOT HAVE IT OR COULD NOT FIND IT THEN THEY DID THEIR BEST TO MAKE IT....THERE WAS ALWAYS PLENTY OF SCRAP METAL AROUND AS THEY NEVER DISPOSED OF ANY OF IT. IT WAS TO VALUABLE OUT HERE 800 MILES FROM ST. LOUIS. WHEN SOMETHING BROKE THEY JUST HAD TO FIX IT SOMEHOW THAT'S ALL THERE WAS TO IT. RIGHT NEXT TO THE BLACKSMITH SHOP WAS THE CARPENTRY SHOP WHICH WORKED ON WAGON WHEELS ALL DAY LONG. FROM REPAIRING TO MAKING NEW ONES. THE CARPENTER WAS ONE OF THE MOST VALUED EMPLOYEES OF BENT'S OLD FORT.