Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site facts for kids

Bent's Old Fort
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
U.S. National Historic Site
Bent's Old Fort
Bent's Old Fort Location in the United States Show map of the United States Bent's Old Fort Location in Colorado Show map of Colorado
Location	Otero County, Colorado, United States
Nearest city	La Junta, Colorado
Area	799 acres (3.23 km2)
Built	1833
Architect	William Bent; Charles Bent
Visitation	28,131 (2009)
Website	Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
NRHP reference No.	66000254
Quick facts for kids Significant dates
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966
Designated NHL	June 3, 1960
Designated NHS	December 19, 1960

Bent's Old Fort is a historic fort in southeastern Colorado, USA. Brothers Charles Bent and William Bent, along with Ceran St. Vrain, built this fort in 1833. They wanted to trade with the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho Native American tribes, as well as trappers, mostly for buffalo robes.

For about 16 years, it was a very important trading post. It was often the only major American settlement along the famous Santa Fe Trail, a long route between Missouri and Mexican towns. William Bent left the fort in 1849.

Today, the fort has been rebuilt and is open for visitors to explore. It became a National Historic Site in 1960. This means it's a special place protected by the National Park Service because of its history. It was also named a National Historic Landmark later that same year.

Building a Trading Empire

Approach to Bent's Old Fort, Colorado. Wetlands helped protect the north trail.

The fort was made of adobe bricks, which are sun-dried mud bricks. It quickly became the main center for the Bent, St. Vrain Company's growing trade business. This company also had other trading posts, like Fort Saint Vrain to the north and Fort Adobe to the south. They also had stores in New Mexico in towns like Taos and Santa Fe.

The main goal of the fort was to trade with the Southern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes for buffalo robes. These robes were very valuable.

Life at the Fort

From 1833 to 1849, Bent's Old Fort was a key stopping point along the Santa Fe Trail. This trail was a busy route for trade and travel. Even though American traders built the fort, it was located in Mexican territory until 1848. The Bent, St. Vrain Company followed Mexican laws and paid taxes on their goods.

The fort was an important link between American and Mexican trade. Many people stopped here, including the U.S. Army, explorers, and other travelers. They would get fresh water and food, and fix their wagons.

Famous frontiersmen also visited the fort. Kit Carson, a well-known American frontiersman, worked as a hunter for the Bent brothers in 1841. Explorer John C. Frémont used the fort as a base for his expeditions. During the Mexican–American War in 1846, the fort became a gathering place for Colonel Stephen Watts Kearny's "Army of the West."

What the Fort Looked Like

Bent's Fort was a large structure made of adobe bricks. It was about 180 feet long and 135 feet wide. The walls were 15 feet tall and four feet thick, making it a very strong building. It took four years to build, starting around 1828.

The fort had towers called bastions on two corners, where cannons were placed. All the rooms faced inward onto a central courtyard. The walls had small openings for muskets, which were a type of gun. The main entrance was through large, heavy wooden gates.

Why the Fort Was Left Behind

A plan showing the lower level of Bent's Old Fort.

In 1849, a terrible sickness called cholera spread among the Cheyenne and other Plains Native American tribes. Because of this, William Bent decided to leave Bent's Fort. He moved his trading business north to Fort Saint Vrain.

When he returned south in 1852, he set up a new trading post at Big Timbers, near what is now Lamar, Colorado. Later, in 1853, Bent started building a new stone fort called Bent's New Fort. He continued his trading there until 1860.

Rebuilding the Fort

The fort you can visit today was rebuilt in 1976. To make it look as much like the original as possible, builders used many clues. They looked at old paintings, sketches, and diaries from the past. They also used information from archaeological digs, where they found old objects buried at the site. Some parts of the reconstruction also involved careful guesswork to fill in missing details.

Images for kids

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  Bent's Old Fort entrance sign in Otero County, Colorado

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  Bent's Old Fort outside view

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  "Gentlemen" who stopped by the fort while traveling the Santa Fe Trail stayed in the upstairs quarters.

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  Row of rooms on the right side of the fort

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  The billiards room was located on the second floor of the fort.

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  Clothes washing area at Bent's Old Fort

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  View of the entrance from inside Bent's Old Fort

Learn More

• List of forts in Colorado
• List of National Historic Landmarks in Colorado
• List of protected areas in Colorado
• List of trading posts in Colorado
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