A 19th-century trail that ran 400 miles through Colorado will be the subject of discussion during a weeklong national convention titled “Colorado’s Historic Trails: A Journey Through Time,” slated to start Sunday, Sept. 7.
The Oregon-California Trails Association is working to map the route, which could eventually be designated as a National Historic Trail administered by the National Park Service.
Known as the Cherokee Trail, the 1,300-mile path was first used in 1849 by Cherokees and white travelers who blazed a route from the end of the Trail of Tears in Oklahoma to Wyoming. It follows a portion of the Santa Fe Trail between Kansas and Bent's Old Fort in Southern Colorado before heading north to connect with the California Trail.
The former wagon track was used by gold seekers, emigrants, and cattle drovers for decades before being somewhat forgotten.
Ethan Gannett, the volunteer nonprofit’s vice president, said there are two active field mapping teams in Colorado “documenting and mapping the remaining evidence of Cherokee Trail (wagon wheel) ruts in Colorado to support National Historic Trail designation.”
The convention will cover a range of topics.
That includes tribal, Spanish and other history relevant to the region, such as the 1779 battle near Greenhorn Mountain between the Spanish governor of New Mexico, Juan Bautista de Anza and Comanche Chief Cuerno Verde, as well as the stories of women of the era like Cherokee Barbara Hildebrand Longknife.
There are also workshops on old and new skills like gold panning, making sourdough, metal detecting and surveying. A panel discussion is scheduled with Cheyenne and Southern Arapahoe tribal representatives about the Sand Creek Massacre and attendees can hear lectures about other historic figures and get opportunities to explore places of interest via tours and site visits around Southern Colorado.
The convention runs from Sunday, Sept. 7, through Friday, Sept. 12, at the Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center, located at 210 N. Santa Fe. Ave., Pueblo.
- National Park Service reverses position on historic status of adobe building at Bent’s Old Fort near La Junta
- Looking Back On 200 Years Of The Santa Fe Trail — One Of The Earliest Paths Into Southeast Colorado
- You can now visit the Santa Fe Trail from the comfort of your home
- Here are two new ways to learn about the Sand Creek Massacre in Eastern Colorado
