Uintah Basin Record March 29th 1935


  Fort Santa Serafina At Ouray, Utah, A Famous Fort Dating From The Old
Spanish Times

( From Albert B. Reagan, Brigham Young University, Provo )
The dedication of the Ouray bridge across Green river at Ouray, Utah has
Brought that interesting region to the front again. When discovered it was
in the possession of the Ute Indians and it still is, though the present
Utes are Uncompahgres, formerly near Denver, Colorado. The gist of this
paper, however, will concern the white man's doing's in the region and
especially the fort that once commanded the place, not the Thornburgh of
recent date, but the one ( Santa Serafina ) that was in ruins a Mile to the
southward of that and already forgotten when that fort was erected.
This fort which is on the east side of the Green River, is 97 feet in about
a north and south direction and 78 feet in width. All that remains of it
today is mounds representing the walls. Northwest of the rectangular
enclosure, connected with it, was a circular bastion, about 18 feet in
diameter, and a similar structure cornered the southwest corner of the wall.
On the west side of the fort enclosure, within, was a tier of rooms four of
which could be made out in  ground plan. On the east side there were three
rooms which did not cover the entire space on that side. Between the rooms
tier was a central plaza. The only entrance was on the north end, at the
middle of the plaza.
This fort was probably erected by Spanish-Mexican traders and trappers
considerably before 1800. The Escalante map of 1778 mentions it and also
lists other places, as Sta. Rosalia and Sta. Seraphe ( if I read it
correctly) both as stopping places on their rout; also S. Atanasio. Also
farther to the northwest it mentions Sierra berde. On this map apparently
the Spanish River (later the Green River) is the one shown as San Rafael or
San Xavier. Mellish's map of 1819 also lists Santa Serafina as well as the
other places mentioned by Escalante. It is also listed on Disturnell's map
of 1846 (1847) and a copy of this map in Bulletin 817 (U.S.G.S.) also shows
this fort, After the latter date there is no mention of this fort at Ouray
until 1832 when, in the month of November of that year. Kit Carson found a
suitable place for winter Quarters. "opposite the mouth of the Uintah" (Our
Duchesne), the fort undoubtedly being the "suitable place" he used but he
does not say so. Because of his using it that winter and it not being known
that any one else had had a fort there the present winter dubbed it "fort
Kit Carson". Carson evidently shared this fort with Antoine Robidoux that
winter (1832-1833), though he then had Fort winte a mile east of the present
Whiterocks. On account of his being with Carson there that winter that fort
got to be called Fort Robidoux by some of the trappers and was so named on
Froiseth's map of Utah of 1876.
It was during the winter of 1832-1833 while Kit Carson was wintering at this
fort that an Indian stole six of Robidoux's horses. Knowing Kit Carson's
reputation for skill and his fearless disposition, as soon as he discovered
his loss, he came and requested him to pursue the Indian. Kit was a man who
never worked without orders except when he was leader. He therefore informed
Captain Lee of Robidoux's request and asked permission to serve his friend.
This, as a matter of course, was readily granted by Captain Lee, when Kit
instantly made preparations for the adventure. He was very soon on
horseback, well armed and well prepared for hard and close work, taking a
mounted Ute brave with him.
To discover the trail of the deserter, and to study its various
characteristics, a science of no mean or useless order in the matter of of a
woodsmen's education, required the two men to slacken their pace a short
time. The tracks made by the stolen animals, however, were well marked, and,
to such practiced eyes, afforded a certain indication in their route. Again
putting their horses to full speed, with compressed lips and eyes directed
to the trail before them, Carson and the Indian warrior dashed on, Carson
concluding that California was the destination aimed at in the deserter's
calculations. Kit and his brave had traveled about a hundred miles when the
horse of the Indian gave out and Kit had to continue the trip alone, as the
Indian refused to accompany him on foot. Onward, alone, he then dashed,
never for an instant taking his eagle eye from the tracks which formed his
compass. Finally after having traveled in all, about 130 miles, he
discovered the chase. His pace  now became tremendous, while at the same
instant the wily savage prepared for a desperate encounter. With this object
in view he turned to seek a cover from whence he could fire upon his
adversary, but he was to slow. Kit had unslung his rifle as soon as he saw
his enemy. His horse was now at full speed and he was rapidly approaching
the Indian just as he reached his cover, but before he could take advantage
of it Kit fired, the Indian falling dead in his tracks, as he dispatched a
bullet whizzing at Carson, missing him by a few inches, only. Carson then
returned with the horses, and later that same spring he and Captain Lee
joined Fitzpatrick and Bridger on the Snake River.
The Hudson Bay people at a later period ( later than Ashley's visit in 1825
and Robidoux's establishishing Fort Winte in 1831) undertook to penetrate 
the country of the Uintah and seem to have used this fort for a time. A
reference to this occupancy is found in the Sublet Mss. Carton 12, Missouri
Historical Society, which reads: "The H.B. Company have established a fort
on the Winty (our Uintah-Duchesne) and Andy's people ( the men in the employ
of Andrew Drips, agent of the American Fur Company) will be driven from
there, if the government does not take some steps."
This fort comes into prominence again as a result of the stealing of certain
horses from the Snake Indians in 1838. The account reads (Victor, Frances
Fuller, The river of the west pp. 259-260): "A party of these renegades
(unemployed trappers who in 1838 had taken to a life of thieving), under a
man named Thompson, robbed the Snake Indians of about forty animals, and ran
them off to the Uintes (our Uintah-Duchesne), the Indians following and
complaining to the whites at Fort Crockett (in Brown's Hole where Newell and
his party, the remainder of Farnham's party, a trading party under St.
Clair, who owned the fort, Kit Carson. and a number of Joseph L. Meek's
former associates, including Craig and Wilkins were in rendezvous) That
their people had been robbed by white trappers, and demanded restitution.
Accordingly, a party was made up at this fort to go and retake the horses,
as the Snakes were on friendly terms with the inmates of this place. The
party consisted of Meeks, Craig, Newell, Carson and twenty-five others,
under the command of Jo Walker.
The horses were found on an island in Green River, the robbers having
domiciled themselves in an old fort at the mouth of the Uintee ( our
Duchesne). In order to avoid a fight with the renegades, whose white blood
the trappers were not anxious to spill, Walker made an effort to get the
horses off the island undiscovered. But while the horses and men were
crossing the river on the ice, the ice sinking with them until the water was
knee-deep, the robbers discovered the escape of their booty, and charging on
the trappers tried to recover the horses. In this effort they were
unsuccessful; while Walker made a masterly flank movement, and getting in
Thompson's rear, ran the horses into the fort, where he stationed his men,
and succeeded in keeping the robbers on the outside. Thompson then commenced
giving the horses away to a village of Utes in the neighborhood of the fort,
on condition that they Should assist them. On his side, Walker threatened
the Utes with dire vengeance if they dared interfere. After a day of
strategy, and of threats alternated with arguments, strengthened by a
warlike display, the trappers marched out of the fort before the faces of
the discomfited thieves, taking their booty with them, which was duly
restored to the Snake Indians on their return to Fort Crockett.
There is another reference to this fort in a write-up of a trip to
California. The writer mentions having been at it in 1849. For some reason
he got the Idea that it was the Robidoux fort, known as Fort Winte , near
the present Whiterocks, and states that while it was abandoned it was still
in a good state of preservation. He further mentions that he tore down the
boat house on the island and made a raft out of the logs and went on it down
the river southward as far as Desolation Canyon.




Researched by Darrel Spreck