![](media/image1.png){width="0.47152777777777777in"
height="0.6006944444444444in"}**Volunteers Help Make the Santa Fe Trail
Encampment "One of the Best"**

## *By Greg Holt*

More than 500 visitors strolled through the river camps and fort during
the Santa Fe Trail Encampment October 6-7^th^. Forty-four volunteers
from 4 states and park staff performed daily camp and life work as a
trader, trapper, hunter, blacksmith, carpenter, Plains Indian, teamster,
domestic and Mexican laborer. New this time was the representation of
the more noted travelers to Bent's Fort in the 1830s and 1840s including
Susan Magoffin, Frederick Wislizenus, Thomas Farnum, Lewis Garrard, Matt
Field, George Ruxton, Marcus Whitman, and Francis Parkman. Other
associated representations included Laurence Lovejoy, Kit Carson, John
Smith, Delaware Indian, Mexican Cibolero, and Tete Rouge. Visitors could
view a period map of each one's travels in the fort exhibit

room. The volunteer's spontaneous approach to visitors was most
effective. It was very good to see volunteers in first person role,
spontaneously interacting with the visitors and others.

The Saturday evening program featured period music and historical
character role presentations of the historic visitors to Bents' Fort.
Fiddle and banjo music and song by Rex Rideout and Tom Karnuta
introduced each noted traveler. The visitors, including the children
seemed to thoroughly enjoy the drama and interaction with each new
person and his portrayal. An older gentleman, who traveled from South
Dakota just for the event, gave some very sincere compliments. You
should be proud for a job well done! The Park would like to thank all
those who made the event possible:

[Plains Indians]{.underline}

Martin Knife Chief

Gale Beckman

Eunice Petramala

Jim Phillips

Phyllis Keas

Judi Hudson

[Domestics]{.underline}

Jerri Spellman

Kay Cynova

Sarah Dack

Jessica Marlow

Judi Brown

Barbara Ingles

Jessica Marlow

Gale Goth

[Mexican Laborers]{.underline}

Joe Frausto

Eli Frausto

Julie Jacobs

Peggy Warren

[Craftsmen]{.underline}

Randy Dack

Jim Harsh

[Trapper/Hunters]{.underline}

Tom Karnuta

Mike Moore

Jim Sebastion

Brandon Dack

[Tete Rouge /Teamster]{.underline}

Mark Berry

# Traders 

John Luzader

Ed Duncan

Henry Crawford

Don Keas

[Marcus Whitman]{.underline}

Don Worthington

[Laurence Lovejoy]{.underline}

Leon Davis

[Francis Parkman]{.underline}

Don Headlee

[Susan Magoffin]{.underline}

Lara Erickson

[Matt Field]{.underline}

Rex Rideout

![](media/image3.jpeg){width="3.0277777777777777in"
height="2.2777777777777777in"}[Mexican Cibolero]{.underline}

Manuel Lopez

[Newspaper Correspondent]{.underline}

Wayne Stroot

[Lewis Garrard]{.underline}

Michael Schaubs

[John Smith 1846]{.underline}

Sam Pisciotta

[Farnum Expedition]{.underline}

Don Erickson

Bob Elsloo

Richard Lohsen

Paul Imhos

[George Ruxton]{.underline}

J.R. Thompson

[Kit Carson]{.underline}

John Carson

[Wislizenus]{.underline}

Don Troyer

**Wicked Weed Award!**

***by Courtney Moore***

This month's wicked weed award goes (once again) to the infamous Salt
Cedar. Formally this rogue goes by the name of *Tamarix parviflora* and
*T. ramosissima* and is plaguing parks, historic sites, farms and
grasslands across the West. Bent's Fort has been involved in an ongoing
battle to eradicate this plant and its insatiable appetite for our
precious water resources. Perhaps some of you have been fortunate enough
to see the Bent's Fort program in operation and noticed that there have
been fewer tamarisk intrusions on the Arkansas banks. This endeavor to
restore the landscape of Bent's Fort has been very visually rewarding.

On the weekend of September 29, 2007-September 30, 2007 two employees
from Bent's Fort NHS joined the Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado to
remove tamarisk and Russian olive from the banks of the Purgatoire River
at the restored town of Boggsville, CO. Approximately 60 people
volunteered to help remove the invasive plants for the weekend by means
of mechanical and chemical treatment. On Saturday evening, presentations
were given by Boggsville historians, along with a
![](media/image4.jpeg){width="2.6527777777777777in"
height="3.5277777777777777in"}period style dinner.

It is estimated that the VOC removed roughly 8-10 acres of tamarisk and
Russian olive. We are pleased to see that citizens from around the state
are concerned not only with the natural beauty of Colorado but with its
historic sites as well. We hope this critical undertaking will continue.

## New Intern Arrives

***by Courtney Moore***

Courtney Moore, the new intern, has arrived at Bent's Fort. She is
working for Fran Pannebaker in natural resources. She hails originally
from Concord, New Hampshire, and is here is La Junta, CO until the
middle of December.

Courtney's degree from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts is in
environmental studies with a focus in water issues, and music. She
realizes this is a strange combination and yes, she has played music
outdoors. If you happen to see her around the fort please feel free to
say hello and if you are in luck she might favor you with her impression
of a Boston accent.

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height="3.0277777777777777in"}

Plans in Place for Revegetation near Fort!

# By Courtney Moore

The natural resources division at Bent's Old Fort has begun planning the
revegetation of an 8-acre former gravel parking lot near the fort. An
environmental and cultural resources assessment for the site is
currently being written. This document will be available online once
finished.

The plot will be reseeded with grass species native to the area. The
project is anticipated to start next spring and any disruption will be
of short duration. It is hoped that this project will help improve the
view from the fort, giving visitors and volunteers alike a view that
blends with native short grass prairie.

**Bent's Old Fort Requests Volunteer Sign-up for 2008 Special Events**

Plans have been made for the special events at Bent's Old Fort for the
year 2008. Most of the events follow the same format and time of year.
**The Santa Fe Trail Caravan**, a 3-½ mile hike for the public behind
the oxen pulled Conestoga wagon from Sierra Vista to Timpas, Colorado
will take place on **May 10^th^**. We had over 60 people join us the
last years. We plan to have talks about the trail at the end of the hike
at the Timpas Picnic area. We will need 2-3 volunteers to ride horse
back with a pack animal in tow and to assist with other needs.

![](media/image6.jpeg){width="3.0277777777777777in"
height="2.28125in"}**The Living History Encampment** will be on **June
5^th^ through the 8^th^**. The training will include a first day of
lecture followed by 3 nights and 3 days of intensive first person living
history training. Instructors will guide and mentor up to 4 students
each in one lifestyle including Topographical Engineers, blacksmithing,
carpentry, domestic and laborer work, trapping and hunting, trading and
Plains Indian life. Two hours graduate level credit will be available. A
Fee will be required for student participation.

We will need about 5 volunteers to assist the **Fourth of July** event.
It is a 3-hour event, which will include a parade, speeches,
storytelling and acting, some frontier cooking, and games.

**Kids Quarters on July 12^th^** will be a half day long with of need of
10 volunteers to help with carpentry, blacksmithing, domestic, laborer,
trading, trapping, soldier and Plains Indian work. We are always in need
of new volunteers to assist with this event.

The fall special event this year on **October 11-12**^th^ will be called
the **Fur Trade Encampment** and will feature a larger Plains Indian
camp, trader and trapper camps. Emphasis will be on getting as much help
as possible to represent the culture and life of the Plains Indian. Some
effort will be made to get authors and historians for special
presentations. Effort will also be made to have a fandango on Saturday
night.

The **Holiday Celebration** will be on **December 5^th^ and 6^th^**. We
will have candle light tours both evenings and the regular daytime
activities on Saturday. The public interest in this event has kept it
going. We usually need about 35 volunteers to make it happen.

As always, we are in need of your comments and suggestions about these
and any other possible events. Visitation to events is down and so we
hope this advance notice will assist with everyone's plans.

***Please let Greg Holt know of your interest in helping with any event.
You can reach him by email at <greg_holt@nps.gov> or by calling
719-384-8938.***

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height="2.6527777777777777in"}