Cowboys and Indians
When I was growing up, we used to play cowboys and Indians. My brother and I played with fake wooden pistols and rifles fighting the Nazis and Japanese; this was during the war years with American’s greatest generation winning the war. I am also remembering my veteran Father while writing this column on Father’s Day.
It seems that there is always warfare dating back in recorded history and wars over vast lands, with historic figures having conquests with Muslims, Chinese, Japanese, Egyptians and Byzantine and Roman empires stretching across Northern Africa and the Middle East and European continent. History reveals that all of them eventually failed, either from the death of their leaders, collapse of leadership, such as the demise of the Roman Empire and end of the feudal rule and tyranny.
That leads us to the discovery of what would be the United States. While winning World War II we were very forgiving to the Germans and Japanese and today they are two of our strongest allies. Who we did conquer and take most of their lands were the American Indians. The Indians, for the most part, were treated badly. The history of Indian wars dates back to the first arrival of colonists in America. The warfare continued as the immigration of colonists seeking religious freedom and opportunity arrived on the Eastern coast. It was only a matter of time that the settlers moved westward. The gold rush spurred populations in the West and particularly in Colorado.
This thumbnail sketch leads us to the early days of Colorado and the discovery of gold at Gregory Gulch in 1859, along with gold discoveries in Cripple Creek and Leadville.
Literally thousands of miners arrived and retailers such as Leadville’s Horace Tabor sold shovels and supplies to the miners, making a fortune.
Painting a picture of what Colorado was like in 1859 and beyond is well described by renowned historic novelist Caroline Bancroft who writes about early day Central City and Black Hawk in her “Gulch of Gold.” She writes remarkably in first person like she is living there at the time in history with marvelous tales of mining history. Everyone should be aware of Black Hawk’s “Founders’ Day” celebration approaching June 28 at the “Hard District,” a new exquisite retail center laden with flowers where whisky was once distilled for the thirsty miners and saloons. Nearby, Central City just completed the annual bed races commemorating Madam Lou Bunch, a well-known brothel operator and historical figure who eventually passed away in Denver. A new steak house opening is on the horizon.
I learn and study more about early day Colorado by reading the “Looking Back” columns in Colorado’s oldest newspaper… The Weekly Register-Call, circa 1862. I also read one of my hometown newspapers, The Herald-Times, published in Meeker and founded in1885. The newspaper has been publishing some remarkable letters from the White River Museum, written in1879 from Indian agent Nathan Meeker to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs in Washington D.C. The more I read these letters I think that Meeker should have stayed with his Colony Group in Greeley, whence he came.
Meeker had good intentions of making the Indians into farmers but the Indians wanted to roam around their lands hunting and ride their ponies. They had been forced onto the White River Reservation by a treaty made with Indian affairs in Washington D.C.
The Indians weren’t fools and they scouted out the gold mines in Gilpin County and the ranchers moving into North Park. In my view, contrary to what Meeker related about the Indians setting massive fire for firewood, it was the Indians attempting to delay the advancement of intruders into their historic homelands; similar to the Russians “scorched earth” of destroying their own property to delay the Nazis. Six weeks before the Meeker Massacre and his ultimate murder, he wrote the following letter to Washington: “Sir, in a letter this date are several things connected with the subject letter. I have a strong belief that a raid is to be made on our herd through the connivance of the Indians, and what I want is sufficient military force to be sent hither to awe the “SAVAGES” so they will stay at home.”…
The military did arrive, and the Milk Creek battle ensued Sept. 29, 1879. The more I read these letters the more sympathetic I become towards the Ute Indians defending their homelands.
Looking at the world situation today… Russia invading Ukraine, Israel in a conflict over Gaza, and Israel and Iran at war.
Just recently landowners fleeing South Africa seeking asylum in the United States. History continues to repeats itself with conflict over lands and religions.
I eagerly await the arrival of the next Meeker Herald-Times to see what Meeker’s letters might reveal; it is very close to his end, and he has become hateful and frantic towards the Indians.
After the Indian uprising, the Army took over the agency and removed the White River Utes to Utah. They withdrew from the agency in 1883, selling the remains of the agency to what would become the town of Meeker. My grandfather delivered freight by team and wagon from Ft. Steele, Wyo. to the Hugus & Adams store in Meeker where he met my grandmother and they were married in 1887 in the Meeker Methodist Church. The wedding story was published in the pioneer Meeker Herald. (Circa 1885). My mother was born in Buford, on the White River, several miles upstream from Meeker in 1906.
When my older brother and I played cowboys and Indians each of us could win; it was who ran out of the “bang” caps first, loaded in red rolls into the play guns. What current conflicts will run out of armaments first, or willpower to end the warfare… this is not a game, but death, destruction, and misery.
ADDENDUM: In The Meeker-Herald Times edition of May 29, 2025, a story by Ed Peck relates that cattle herds began arriving in the area, but the Indian lands weren’t released for settlement until Nov. 1885, two years after the military left. Rio Blanco County was created in 1889, after a lingering dispute with Garfield County and voting to leave and form a new county. Rio Blanco County by 1900 had a population of 1690, with 506 living in Meeker.
Ed Peck’s column in the Herald’s edition June 5 related the founding of the Meeker townsite by a D. M. Richards, forming The Meeker Townsite Company where he became president of the new land company. That is a long story, but in his research Ed Peck finds a mention of Richards in the historic Weekly-Register-Call, (Cira 1862) edition of Nov. 2, 1883, in a press release written by P.P. Harp, secretary of the Meeker Townsite Company. Peck’s research further relates that Richards was involved with his brother in gold mining in Russell Gulch in Central City in 1861. Meeker Townsites were eventually filed and developed with some founding descendants still living in that city today.
I went to CSU with Ike Harp, a son of the founding family. The Lyttle family published The Meeker Herald successfully for decades. The historic newspaper is still going strong under the leadership of publisher Niki Turner serving both Meeker and Rangely. I subscribed for two-years to support the newspaper. That’s a hint to others to support the few lingering historic newspapers along with dwindling locally owned newspapers across the state.