Note 58 — MEMORANDOM OF THE VOIGE BY LAND FROM FORT SMITH TO THE ROCKEY MOUNTAINS.

Vicinity of Robinson, about on the boundary between Bent and Otero counties, and near the site of Bent’s fort, which was a noted place for many years. See Pike, ed. of 1895, pp. 446, 447, and to authorities there cited for description add Farnham, Travels, 1843, chap. iv, beginning p. 34. Fort William was an alternative name of the same establishment—so called after one of the Canadian-French Bent brothers, who were William, George, Robert, and Charles. In 1826 three of them, with Ceran St. Vrain, built a rude stockade on the N. bank of the Arkansaw above Pueblo—perhaps halfway up to Cañon City. In 1828 they moved down below Pueblo, and began the erection of the permanent structure called Fort William, which was long better known as Bent’s “old” Fort. It existed till 1852, when Col. Wm. Bent destroyed it with fire and gunpowder. He immediately selected a new site lower down the Arkansaw, on the same (N.) side, in the well-known locality of the Big Timbers, where he erected Bent’s “new” fort in 1853, and used it as a trading-post till 1859, when it was leased to the Government; Col. Bent moving to a point just above Purgatory river for the winter of 1859-60. Next spring Bent’s place became Fort Wise, so named for the Governor of Virginia, but in 1861 this name was changed to Fort Lyon, in honor of Gen. Nathaniel Lyon, who was killed at the battle of Wilson’s creek, Mo., Aug. 10, 1861. In the spring of 1866 the river undermined this post, and it was moved to a point 20 m. lower down, though the old post continued to be used as a stage station by Barlow, Sanderson and Co.