Santa Fe Trail Bicentennial Symposium

Description: September 23-26 at Bent's Old Fort National Historic Site

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2021 SANTA FE TRAIL SYMPOSIUM SCHEDULE

*Admission to evening activities at Bent’s Old Fort and Otero Junior College by Name Tag Only

*Admission to Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site will be free to the public during the symposium.

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Symposium Registration at Otero Junior College (OJC) Humanities Center, 18th & Colorado Ave., La Junta. Parking: Large parking lot between Koshare Kiva and OJC Gymnasium—across street from Humanities Center, Ed Stafford Theater.

9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. - 2021 Santa Fe Trail Youth Symposium

Thirty-five 6-8 grade students and their teachers representing several southeast Colorado schools have pre-registered for a special “Youth Symposium” preceding the full Symposium. The Youth Symposium will focus on hands-on learning experiences at Boggsville Historic Site and Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site, in keeping with Colorado State Educational Standards for Social Studies. Please see the Youth Activities tab on the symposium website https://www.2021sfts.com/youthactivities.html for additional information.

8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Santa Fe Trail Board of Directors’ Meeting @ OJC Humanities Center (Open to Santa Fe Trail members and public; however, space is limited.)

3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Vendor Check-in @ OJC Humanities Center

12 noon - Living Historians’ Arrival @ Bent’s Old Fort (by invitation only)

Evening Dinner “On Your Own”

Restaurant Link: visitlajunta.net/eat

Thursday, September 23, 2021

7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Symposium Registration @ OJC Humanities Center, 18th & Colorado Ave., La Junta. Parking: Large parking lot between Koshare Kiva and OJC Gymnasium—across street from Humanities Center, Ed Stafford Theater.

9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. - Living History @ Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site, 35110 Hwy. 194

Camps: Hunters, Merchants, Fremont Expedition, Snively Expedition, Cibolero

8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Vendors, Authors and Displays @ OJC Humanities Center

8:00 a.m. to 12 noon Opening Ceremony @ OJC Ed Stafford Theater in the Humanities Center

Master of Ceremonies: Ed Stafford

Bent’s Fort Chapter, President, Kevin Lindahl

Santa Fe Trail President, Larry Short

La Junta Dignitaries

Speakers’ Presentations:

8:15 William Gwaltney: “Mixed Blood: Life, Love, and Lineage among the First Families of the Santa Fe Trail”

9:00 Visit Vendors

9:15 Dr. Susan Callafate Boyle: “The Santa Fe Trade Merchants and their Merchandise: Going Down to Mexico, 1825-1846.

10:00 Visit Vendors

10:15 John F. Steinle: “Most All Proves Fatal”: Pandemics and the Santa Fe Trail

11:00 Visit Vendors

11:15 Dr. David C. Beyreis: “Business, Politics and Power on the Santa Fe Trail: The Transcontinental World of Bent, St. Vrain and Company, 1829-1849.

Trail Tour Participants:

12:15 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

12:15 p.m. – Pick up Box Lunches at OJC Humanities Center (Box Lunches for Tour Participants Only)

12:45 p.m. – 1 p.m. – Board Buses @ OJC Gymnasium Parking Lot

1:00 p.m. – 5 p.m. – Trail Tour #1: “They Followed the Water”

Non-Tour Participants Alternative Activities:

Lunch “On Your Own”

Lunch can be purchased at the OJC Student Center

Visit area museums:

Koshare Indian Museum & Kiva, 115 W. 18th , La Junta, CO

Otero Museum 706 W. 3rd, La Junta, CO

John W. Rawlings Heritage Center & Museum, 560 Bent Ave., Las Animas,

Boggsville Historic Site, 2 miles south of Las Animas on Hwy. 101

John Martin Reservoir – SFT Trail Ruts & DAR marker, 30750 County Road 25.75, Hasty, CO

Rocky Ford History Museum, 1005 Sycamore, Rocky Ford, CO

Other Interesting Sites to visit:

Gallery 313, 313 Santa Fe Ave., La Junta, CO 719-384-9101

Junction 50 Galleria, 112 W. 1st St., La Junta, CO

6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Reception/Dinner at Bent’s Old Fort (Admission by Name Tag)

Entertainment: Rex Rideout and Mark Gardner

Santa Fe Trail Association 2020 Awards

Friday, September 24, 2021

7:00 a.m. to 3:00 pm

Symposium Registration @ OJC Humanities Center, 18th & Colorado Ave., La Junta. Parking: Large parking lot between Koshare Kiva and OJC Gymnasium—across street from Humanities Center, Ed Stafford Theater.

Trail Tour Participants

7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

7:30 a.m. Pick up Box Lunches @ OJC Humanities Center (Box Lunches for Tour Participants Only)

7:45 a.m. - 8:00 a.m. – Board Buses @ OJC Gymnasium Parking Lot

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Trail Tour #2 “Headed Back to Independence”

8:00 a.m. – 3 p.m. Vendors, Authors and Displays @ OJC Humanities Center

Non-Tour Participants:

9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Living History @ Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site, 35110 Hwy. 194

Demonstrations in the Fort at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.

 9:00 a.m. Lloyd Britton & Jim Sebastian, “Animal Packing Demonstration" – Corral

 10:00 a.m. Clay Landry, “Spanish Horse Tack on the Trail” – Wagon Shed

 11:00 a.m. Bob Larison, "Blacksmithing in Mexico and on the trails at Bent’s Old Fort” – Wagon Shed

 1:00 p.m. Rex Rideout, "I'm Bound Away Across the Wide Missouri: Music and Instruments of the Santa Fe Trail" - Wagon Shed

 2:00 p.m. Bill Gwaltney, “Firearms on the Trail” presentation (The Henry Deringer Trade Rifle) – Wagon Shed

Camps: Hunters, Merchants, Fremont Expedition, Snively Expedition, Cibolero

Non-Tour Participants Alternative Activities:

Lunch “On Your Own”

Lunch can be purchased at the OJC Student Center

Visit area museums:

Koshare Indian Museum & Kiva, 115 W. 18th, La Junta, CO

Otero Museum 706 W. 3rd, La Junta, CO

John W. Rawlings Heritage Center & Museum, 560 Bent Ave., Las Animas,

Boggsville Historic Site, 2 miles south of Las Animas on Hwy. 101

John Martin Reservoir – SFT Trail Ruts & DAR marker, 30750 County Road 25.75, Hasty, CO

Rocky Ford History Museum, 1005 Sycamore, Rocky Ford, CO

Other Interesting Sites to visit:

Gallery 313, 313 Santa Fe Ave., La Junta, CO 719-384-9101

Junction 50 Galleria, 112 W. 1st, La Junta, CO

Evening Dinner “On Your Own”

Restaurant Link: visitlajunta.net/eat

Saturday, September 25, 2021

7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Symposium Registration @ OJC Humanities Center, 18th & Colorado Ave., La Junta. Parking: Large parking lot between Koshare Kiva and OJC Gymnasium—across street from Humanities Center, Ed Stafford Theater.

9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Living History @ Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site, 35110 Hwy. 194

Camps: Hunters, Merchants, Fremont Expedition, Snively Expedition, Cibolero

8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Vendors, Authors and Displays @ OJC Humanities Center

8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. SFT Association General Membership & Business Meeting

National Santa Fe Trail President: Larry Short

Speakers’ Presentations

9:30 Rebecca Atkinson, “He Said, She Said: Two Views of Life at Bent’s New Fort”

10:15 Visit Vendors

10:30 Matthew Saionz, “There is Very Little System or Consistency: Making Sense of Contraband Cases in the Late 1820’s and Their Subsequent Disappearance.”

11:15 Visit Vendors

11:30 National Park Service National Trails Office, “The Santa Fe National Historic Trail: Visions from Today and the Future Along the Trail”

Trail Tour Participants

12:30p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

12:30 p.m. – Pick up Box Lunches @ OJC Humanities Center (Box Lunches for Tour Participants Only)

12:45 p.m. – 1 p.m. – Board Buses @ OJC Gymnasium Parking Lot

1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. – Trail Tour #3: “Walking in the Footsteps of the Past”

Non-Tour Participants Alternative Activities:

Lunch “On Your Own”

Lunch can be purchased at the OJC Student Center

Visit area museums:

Koshare Indian Museum & Kiva, 115 W. 18th, La Junta, CO

Otero Museum 706 W. 3rd, La Junta, CO

John W. Rawlings Heritage Center & Museum, 560 Bent Ave., Las Animas,

Boggsville Historic Site, 2 miles south of Las Animas on Hwy. 101

John Martin Reservoir – SFT Trail Ruts & DAR marker, 30750 County Road 25.75, Hasty, CO

Rocky Ford History Museum, 1005 Sycamore, Rocky Ford, CO

Other Interesting Sites to visit:

Gallery 313, 313 Santa Fe Ave., La Junta, CO 719-384-9101

Junction 50 Galleria, 112 W. 1 st , La Junta, CO

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. “Drinkables on the Santa Fe Trail”, Living Historian, Bill Gwaltney – Outside Front Gate

6:00 p.m. - Banquet & Fandango (Admission by Name Tag)

Santa Fe Trail Association 2021 Awards

Sunday, September 26, 2021

8:00 a.m. – 12 noon Living History @ Bent’s Old Fort National Historic Site

10:00 a.m. Church Service @ Boggsville Historic Site

Pastor Gary Pritchard

12:00 Noon Group Photo (Living Historians and Speakers) at Bent’s Old Fort



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