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.
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