More Than a TRADING POST
The travelers cheered at the sight in the distance. They were thirsty and weary after 530 miles on the Santa Fe Trail. But they knew they were within reach of Bent’s Fort. It was the only place of real rest and recuperation to be found on the trail between Independence, Missouri, and New Mexico. Many travelers on the western prairie found the unfamiliar and desolate land unsettling. They had to deal with animal losses and wagon breakdowns. Sleepless nights and unfriendly interactions with Indigenous people caused additional stress. The sight of the fort’s 15-foot-high protective walls meant relief was at hand.
Between 1833 and 1849, Bent’s Fort was the landmark trading post of Bent, St. Vrain
