Special to the Herald Times
The White River Museum has a collection of letters that Meeker founding father Thomas Baker kept for many years. There are letters from Nathan Meeker and prominent figures like Chief Ouray, ex-Indian Agents, and the violently anti-Indian Colorado Governor Pitkin, as well as various Army officers from 1874-1879. The letters tell a compelling story from a dramatic period of local history to be shared here.
White River
Indian Agency,
White River,
Colorado,
June 11, 1877
Sir: I am in receipt of your letter of the 23rd of May, in reply to my letter of May 7, asking for certain instructions as to the course I should pursue in case parties make an effort to settle in the northern portion of the Ute Reserve near my agency.
Your letter does not satisfy my inquiries. I have already a copy of the executive order setting apart an addition to the Ute Reservation. You say: “If a removal is deemed necessary you will report the facts to this office that proper action may be taken in the premises. I wished in my former letter to urge upon the Indian Office the importance of taking prompt measures to render any such removal unnecessary by preventing in the first the occupation of the country. Especially in this case is prevention better than cure.
With my poor facilities of communication, it would take some time to report the income and action of settlers; longer for any action to be taken. The season would be advanced, the parties would remain here throughout the winter; in the meantime others would come, and once having found their way into the Indian Country, experience has taught that it will be found impracticable to remove them. The Indian feels this very keenly; and, also, everyone who is friendly to the Indian and acquainted with his history. If the Indians here are permitted to see white people come into their country after what has been said to them, they cannot be made to believe that the government will keep faith with them, and if they do not believe this, all our hold upon and influence over them will be destroyed.
The Utes fully believe that they have been deprived, unjustly, of part of their lands in the southern portion of their reserve, and from what I have been able to learn on the subject, I think the facts in the case justify their belief and the correctness of their statement that white settlers are at present occupying and farming their land. From what I see of the disposition and wishes of the white people in the neighborhood of the northern portion of the reservation, they would gladly deprive the Utes of this country, and that they are preparing to take the first steps to accomplish it I am satisfied. Efforts are being made to raise colonies to settle in the White River Valley; one party of about sixty families is reported en route. I have a letter from the leader of another party, asking me for information and directions.
There is already one party upon the reserve, hunting and prospecting for gold. The settlers of the neighboring valleys are loud in their talk that they have a perfect right to come and settle here, and are proposing to do so. Much of this discussion has arisen, as I said before, no doubt, from the mistakes of the Miller survey. It continually comes to me that members of this party were very free in declaring in their progress through the country that this agency was off the reservation, and the entire White River Valley was not Indian country. I repeat here, most decidedly, that it is the duty of the Indian Office, through the Land Office, or in some other way, to publish very widely throughout Colorado, and very soon too, the true boundaries of this reservation, and to circulate correct maps indicating the same to the eye. A little care taken now in this direction will save a great deal of trouble to Indians and whites, and to the authorities of the country in future.
I here repeat my question, Can I do something (if so, what) or nothing in the way of meeting parties who may be on their way to this valley to settle, or to hunt gold, and forbid and prevent their progress, and to what extent I can use an Indian police force (as has been recommended by the Indian Department) to accomplish my object?
I respectfully ask an answer to this letter by return mail.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
E. H. DANFORTH,
United States Indian Agent
HON. J. Q. SMITH,
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Washington, D.C.
Very interesting letter.