Bents Fort

[exMember]

Man, what a blast!

A couple friends and I went to bents fort today for an adventure. I ended up spending a little more than I intended to, but we all know how that goes LOL. I got a nice tan/green mtn man work shirt that I'll use for hunting season.

Just had a blast touring the fort and looking everything over.

At the rifles, I leaned over the counter to take a picture and beep beep beep! I tripped a sensor that set an alarm off :lol!:

I am worn out. 200 miles round trip in a CJ5, a little cold sprinkle on the way back and an exhaust flapper that closed, causing her to run hot a shutter, about gave me a heart attack. I figured the issue out quickly, but it still was a wipe my underwear out moment lol.

I have pictures I will transfer over and upload later. Need a break!

 

[Buck Conner1]

Man, what a blast!

A couple friends and I went to bents fort today for an adventure. I ended up spending a little more than I intended to, but we all know how that goes LOL. I got a nice tan/green mtn man work shirt that I'll use for hunting season.

Just had a blast touring the fort and looking everything over.

I have pictures I will transfer over and upload later. Need a break!

Jon in 1972 there was a group of us invited to attend a ribbon cutting by the US Forest Service on this site. Mentioned this in another area here, we took part in the party with Davy Crockett's great grand daughter doing the honors (she was in her mid to upper 80's). The whole event was for the start of what you saw yesterday, probably one of the first and best historical sites done correctly for appearance to allow us the public to see how hard those times were.

 

[exMember]

 

[exMember]

 

[Buck Conner1]

For those that have never been to this fort you don't know what your missing. When construction was about to start a contractor broke out the usual transit and level (he got shot down on the spot). The original adobe foundation had been capped by local farmers back in the late 30's early 1940's. The instructions told the contractors that they had to follow this foundation period. The contractor didn't want to apply to the rules and another one was hired.

The new contractor followed the snake foundation which you can see if you take the time to eye ball each of the walls. Mexican labors from southern Mexico made the adobe bricks on site, the large timbers were from local growth forests, this site was done as if it was 1850. The only thing that does not stand out are modern bathrooms (required by law) and done very carefully so you'll have to look for them. I talked to one of the plumbers working there and was told they put heating pipes in the bathroom walls to keep bathrooms from freezing in cold weather. The general public won't notice these as there's so much to look at you need more than one trip to really enjoy what has been done. 

I can't count how many times we have been here for rendezvous, helping the young ladies learn how to bake in the beehive ovens or provide some easy to make period recipes over the years.

Jon I have to dig out my pictures of Bent's, yours were taken 2017 - I think I have similar pictures (same shots) as you have but taken in 1976 or 77. Would be interesting to stare and compare them as to what may have changed over the years.  Fun stuff. 

Bent's Old Fort was the first historical site that the US National Parks Service rebuilt with their new management team. The next was Fort Osage, then Fort deChartre and many more were on their list of sites that followed Bent's having the same attention to details, no more Hollywood (phony) construction. Now (you, me) us as tourists can have a real living history experience when visiting some of the US Parks Service historical sites. And remember Bent's Old Fort was the first. 

 

[RonRC]

Thanks for the photos! Bent's Fort will make for a nice, Fall trip. I would go during the Summer, but I have an international trip coming up and I will be attending my son's participation in the World Masters Brazilian Jiujutsu Competition in Las Vegas in late August. So, the Fall it will be.
Ron

 

[Buck Conner1]

Thanks for the photos! Bent's Fort will make for a nice, Fall trip. I would go during the Summer, but I have an international trip coming up and I will be attending my son's participation in the World Masters Brazilian Jiujutsu Competition in Las Vegas in late August. So, the Fall it will be.
Ron

You'll enjoy Bent's Ron, take bottled water (they charge more down there, taking advantage of bad water in the area with alkaline water conditions).  Look at hose bib connections, you'll see the white stains. Don't forget your camera (something I do about half the time), good Mexican food (not the Tex-Mex stuff in Denver area) check the sit down places to eat. Fall would be better as its cooler too.

 

[RonRC]

Thank you  for the advice!
I love traveling through the mountains during the fall foliage change. Nowadays, I always carry plenty of water, even if it is tap water from my house. 
Ron

 

[Marty1]

I really enjoyed your pics of Bent Fort FG!
Growing up my parents had taken us to visit a few forts here in the Northeast.  If I can dig-up any of my original photos taken by my parents at the time... I will scan and post them.

 

[CoHiCntry]

Looks like a neat place I need to go check out!  Thanks for posting.

 

[exMember]

Here's my new hunting shirt I bought at the fort. I think the green and tan will blend in nicely. Should off set the blaze orange hat and vest

 

[Buck Conner1]

Here's a few more pictures for Bent's. We were there one day and the young girls in the kitchen were talking about how to use the bee hive ovens outside. What they were saying wasn't correct and my pard stopped them and asked if they would let him show them the correct steps for using s bee hive oven.

I wondered off and returned an hour later as fresh baked bread and rolls appeared. Now Ben has a pair of pies and a cake baking, these young ladies were having the best time learning a new skill.

  

Here are the two bee hive ovens on the side of the kitchen and pictured is one of these young ladies mentioned. Those kids were baking all day long while the tourists got samples, fun time watching them work and laugh.

 

[heelerau]

When I come State Side and visit in the not to distant future Bents Fort will be on the list

 

[Buck Conner1]

Always a pleasure to visit, folks change but Bent's is always the same, this one was done correctly (rebuilt) from all the available records at the time of its operation.

 

[patocazador]

What is the box-like structure in the center of the courtyard?

Solitary confinement???

 

[heelerau]

Bet is a press for baling plews !

 

[patocazador]

Bet is a press for baling plews !

Makes sense.

 

[exMember]

Exactly what it is.

 

[Buck Conner1]

When this fort was starting construction in the early 1970's several of us got the chance to see the blue prints and provided documented information on some of the shops and had a hand in this hide press (information and sketches of similar press used in the day like Fort Union's setup).