I worked in many different positions for the National Park Service, starting with Bent’s Old Fort NHS. I was a seasonal Interpreter, then as a permanent Museum Technician, later as a Museum Curator and once again as the Chief Ranger, a job in which I did both Interpretation and Law Enforcement duties.
Even today, I am still involved as a Volunteer and Interpretation Trainer for the park and its Volunteer-In-Parks Corps.
Bent’s Old Fort NHS is a place critical to understanding the changing nature of the Borderlands and how Anglo, American Indian, Latino, African American and many other cultures and ethnicities cooperated, collaborated, conflicted and coalesced.
Now in need of repair and restoration, the Adobe Fort is a symbol of both our past as well as our future as we look to find meaning in our journey so far as a nation.
Sincerely,
Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site
Bent’s Old Fort, built in Colorado in 1833, was a major fur trading post along the Santa Fe Trail. During its 16 year occupation, the fort was the center of the Bent, St. Vrain Trade Company and also served as an army base during the war with Mexico in 1846. Today, the historic site features an adobe fort reconstructed from 19th century drawings. The park's educational center shares insight into the life of 1800s frontiersmen. Programs geared toward children include skill workshops, role playing and guided tours.
State(s): Colorado
Established: 1960
“Parks are critical to a shared understanding of our past. There is no future without a past and no history without an acceptance of that past, whether it be pleasant or difficult. Parks are where Americans learn about America. They are more important now than ever before.”
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