Near La Junta in Otero County, Colorado — The American Mountains (Southwest)
An Adobe Outpost
Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
Photographed By Jason Armstrong, July 15, 2021
1. An Adobe Outpost Marker
A Mud Castle Rises
In 1833, Bent, St. Vrain & Company built a trading post on the semi-arid reaches of the Arkansas River on the U.S. border with Mexico. Few if any buildings in the American West approached Bent’s Fort in size and importance. The walls were fourteen or more feet high and thirty inches thick. Except for some support timbers, everything was built of adobe. It added up to a lot of bricks.
From Taos, 150 Mexican laborers were hired to do the work. Water was hauled from the river in barrels and dumped into huge pits. Straw and perhaps wool were mixed in with sand, silt and clay. The mud was trampled by oxen, packed into molds and laid out to dry. Tens of thousands of bricks were heaped against the horizon in a silent tribute to cross-cultural cooperation.
Kid’s Corner
Adobe for Comfort & Safety
We live in an adobe fort. I help make adobe from mud and straw. The thick, high walls keep us safe. Adobe stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Forts and Castles • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1833.
Location. 38°
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Welcome to the Borderlands (here, next to this marker); A Babel-Tongued Multitude (here, next to this marker); Mountain Men to Merchants (here, next to this marker); No Fur, No Fort (here, next to this marker); A Cast of Colorful Characters (a few steps from this marker); Trading Post on the Trail (a few steps from this marker); Edward Dorris (approx. 0.2 miles away); Bent's Fort on Santa Fe Trail (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in La Junta.
Also see . . .
1. Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site. Official National Park Service website. (Submitted on February 18, 2014.)
2. Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site - Wikipedia entry. (Submitted on February 18, 2014.)
Photographed By Duane Hall, October 8, 2010
2. Bent's Old Fort
Photographed By Duane Hall, October 8, 2010
3. Bent's Old Fort
Photographed By Duane Hall, October 8, 2010
4. Interior of Bent's Old Fort
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2022. It was originally submitted on February 18, 2014, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas. This page has been viewed 479 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on February 7, 2022, by Jason Armstrong of Talihina, Oklahoma. 2, 3, 4. submitted on February 18, 2014, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas.
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