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Meeker Massacre
By PK | July 24, 2008
West of the Rockies and the Continental Divide, is a small community named Meeker. There’s a story behind the naming of this town that shouldn’t be forgotten. As we passed through Meeker last week, Dalton briefly told me of it’s past, why it was named Meeker. So I did a little research, and with a compilation, I will tell you the story of Meeker.
At this point, I’m not referring to the town of Meeker, I’m speaking about Nathan Meeker, an Indian Agent for the Utes that was living on the White River Ute Indian Reservation. Nathan Meeker was a newspaper reporter for the New York Tribune as their Agricultural editor prior to accepting the position of Indian Agent.
His job would not be an easy one, for the Indians already resented their diminishing hunting grounds by the white people, as many settlers, following the economic depression after the Civil War, migrated by wagon, horse and foot into the Ute territory over the high mountain passes.
Chief Douglas was the leader of the Ute tribe in the White River area, with him were Captain Jack and an Indian warrior named Colorow. In some of my research, they were the only Indians listed in the Meeker Massacre, until I came across this picture.
On the back of this photo it is written, ‘Wanzito or Antelope - Guide for Schuyler Colfax - slayer of agent Meeker in Meeker Massacre‘. So I wonder, if this is not another of Chief Douglas’ warriors.
Prior to the Meeker Massacre in 1863, Chief Ouray, leader of the Southern Utes in Los Pinos, and a close friend of Kit Carson, had signed a peace treaty with the United States granting him and his tribe a 16 million acre reservation in Colorado. In 1872, Chief Ouray went to Washington to complain about the white settlers invading his people’s land. While Chief Ouray was for a peaceful resolution, Chief Douglas and his warriors were not.
Chief Douglas and the White Valley Indians were resentful of the white settlers and did not want to change and learn farming. The situation was tense and quickly became dangerous when Nathan Meeker tried to force the White Valley Ute Indians into farming. Finally Meeker asked for a detachment of soldiers and a company of Negro Cavalrymen under Captain Dodge came to Hot Sulfur Springs to await development. They did not have to wait long.
Nathan Meeker, ignoring warnings that the Indians were furious with the reforms, ordered that a horse racing track and the horses’ pasturage be plowed into farmland. The Utes, who prided themselves on their wealth of horses, took this as their final affront, especially after Meeker suggested they had too many horses and would have to kill some of them.
By doing this, Nathan Meeker signed the death warrants of himself and every male employee at the Indian Agency, for on September 29th, 1879, the Utes rebelled and killed Meeker and ten others.
The women and children, including Meeker’s wife and daughter were captured by the Utes and taken south to the Colorado River.
When news of the massacre reached Los Pinos, Chief Ouray was on a hunting expedition, but his wife, Chipeta, after sending a runner to acquaint him with the news, rode alone on the long trip north to intercede for the white captives. This exploit brought her many applauds from all of America. After 23 days, the white women and children were released into the safety of General Charles Adam, who rode north from Los Pinos.
A detachment from Fort Steele in Wyoming led by Major Thornburg, who had left for the Agency with three companies of infantry and one company of calvary, was ambushed by the Utes approximately 20 miles northeast of Meeker, killing Major Thornburg and 12 others with 43 wounded. The surviving soldiers retreated to their wagon train and dug trenches. Captain Dodge came to the aid of the besieged soldiers only to find himself surrounded by Indians as well.
A lone scout, sneaking past Indian lines, made his way to Rawlins, Wyoming with tales of the situation. As soon as he received the news, General Wesley Merritt in command at Fort Russell, started south with 550 men and so the beginning of the Ute Wars. General Merritt proceeded to the White Valley Indian Agency to find it’s smoldering remains, traveling no further south, he commenced building a fort, the present site of where Meeker now stands.
Although the Utes prevailed in the short run, within a decade they were forced to withdraw from nearly all of western Colorado, including all of the lands along White River.
Nathan Meeker is remembered by the folks who live in Meeker, Colorado. A mountain was also named in his honor, Mt. Meeker. It stands along side Long’s Peak which are located in the Rocky Mountains.
I hope you enjoyed this bit of history behind Meeker and if you’d like to see a few pictures and read about today’s Meeker, read my previous story, Passing Through Meeker.
Some photos courtesy of Wikipedia.
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Topics: "Post Cards From the West", Colorado |
