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Explore culture, history, nature, and more at virtual events or events at The National Parks Store. To find events among the 70+ national parks that partner with Western National Parks Association, visit the Discover Our Parks page and choose a partner park.
The public is invited to visit Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site on Friday, September 8 and Saturday, September 9 for our program on the Second Life of Bent’s Old Fort!
Bent’s Old Fort had a long history after its days as a trading post were over. From 1860 to 1875 the site was used as a home station by a series of stagecoach lines. It also served as a US Post Office for much of that time. We will attempt to bring that era to life for a weekend, with over 80 living history volunteers bringing that period demonstrating to visitors how they lived at that time.
This program will be set in a year of great change in our nation’s history, 1865. The Civil War was finally at an end; however, this area was still reeling from the shockwaves of the Sand Creek Massacre from the previous year. The regular army was coming west to replace volunteer troops, and Congress had sent a committee to investigate the causes of the Colorado War of 1864-65 that was fought between the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Lakota and the United States Army due to continued encroachment on Tribal lands.
Come interact with Native Americans, Stage Company Employees and Passengers, Infantry, Cavalry, Freighters, Emigrants, Buffalo Hunters, and the Land Office. The formal program schedule can be found here.