The original adobe fort, built in 1833, was a key stop on the Santa Fe Trail. It was headquarters for a fur-buying operation, dealing with trappers, Indians, and caravans of Santa Fe-bound traders.

It was also a staging area for the US military take-over of the southwest from Mexico. The border at the time was right here, along the Arkansas River, in what is now southeastern CO.

The fort is a 1976 reconstruction.