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Show When San Juan County Was Given to the theI theSouthern theSouthern I I Southern Ute Indians IndiansA : A Historical Experience of the Early Nineties NinetiesBy NinetiesBy NinetiesBy By Frank Silvey I Pioneer day dayI I ' ' What memories this thisday thisday I day has to the early pioneers of San SanJuan SanJuan Sanj SanI I Juan county The struggles and hard h.1.rd- h1.rd h.1.rd h1rd hard- h.1.rd'ships hardships . hardships . - I SanI ships 'ships ' we all v . went ent through I ' ' The set- set settlement settlement set settlement - I setI tlement of Bluff City , of Coyote and andL9 andL andLi I L9 L . ' Sal , Montlcello Monticello and Blanding , in inI inmany inmany Inmany many places without roads or even a acow acow I I cow trail trml The early pioneers had toI to toexplore I ' explore ahead , find water , build pazI pazsable pas- pas paz- paz passable - I | pasII pasIsable sable roads , and sometimes we had pas-I pas I to to'I toI tolet 'I I 'Ilet I ' let wagons over steep hills with ropes ropessometimes , I Isometimes sometimes we had to drag a couple of ofI oftrees oftrees oftrees I trees behind the wagons in order to tohold tohold tohold hold the wagons wagona . back from running runningover runningover runningover over the horses : ; ; and always on the thelookout thelookout thelookout lookout for Indians who might be on onthe onthe onthe the war path These are arc only a few fewof fewcf fewcf of cf the things thmgs we had to ' contend contendLwith contendLwithLet . Wlth with WlthLet withLet Let me state here that my father fathermother , , mother , three brothers and myself myself.settled myselfsettled . , I II Isettled settled at La Sal , ( now known as OldI OldLa OldLa Old OldLa I | I La SaD Sal ) , August 11 , 1882 , but my myI mybrother mybrother mybrother I , brother . , Jack Silvey , came down to the theLa theLa , La Sals about June 15 , 1881 in com com- corn- corn company cornpany company - pany with seventy Rico ' boys ' who whocame whocaine whocame theI I came caine to the relief of the Rlco-Mancos- Rlco Mancos Rico-Mancos- Rico RlcoMancosDisappomtment RicoMancosDisappointment Rico-Mancos-Disappointment Rico Mancos Disappointment - - - Disappomtment Disappointment boys who were report report- reported reported - - ed trapped by the Indians on report-I report I the thenorthv.est thenorthwest thenorthwest led reportIled northv.est northvest northwest . side of the La Sal moun moun- mountains mountains - tains in a prong 'Prong ' rong ' of 'Of Little Castle Ca.stle . Valley Valleynow Valleynow I Inow now known as the "Battle Battle " Grounds Grounds"and Groundsand " I and ' ' 'where where ' twelve white men were werekIlled werekilled werekilled kIlled by the Udians TIdtan5 Iidianr I have v.orked vorked sorked v.orkedWlth sorkedwith . workedwith Wlth with m in the past . and interviewed mterviewed v.orkedI many manymen manymen manymen I men who were m this fight , , or were in inpursuit inpursuit inpursuit pursuit of the Indians Indians ; ; also have n news- news newspaper news newspaper ws- ws wspaper - paper clippings cUppIngs and other data that thatould thatwould thatwould \\ould ould would ' \ no doubt be of interest at this thisdate thisdate thisdate date , but I am passing ' over 'Over all this In Inorder inorder inorder order to give something somethmg that will , 1 I 1beheve Ibelieve Ibelieve beheve believe , be more intelesting inteiesting intelestingEarlv inteiestingEarly Intel esting estingEarlv Earlv Early in December , 1894 , one branch branchof branchof branchof I branchI of our Congress Congressoted ' \oted oted \ oted by a ma3orlty maJority to tocede tocede I Icede I cede San Juan county , Utah , to the theSouthern theSouthern theSouthern Southern Ute Indians m in e exchange .change change > . theI for fortheir fortheir fortheir I their 0\\ 0 o own 0n \ \ n reservation consisting conslStmg of a astrip astrrp I Istrxp strxp strip fifteen miles wide and arid seventy seventymiles seventymiles I ImIles mIles long , . . bOl bozdenng boidering dermg on the Colorada- Colorada ColoradaI ColoradaNew ColoradaNew Colorada-New Colorada New - - I | New Mexico line Ime and e extending .tendmg tendmg > . from fromthe fromthe I Ithe [ the Utah line , , east The eastern 'per- 'per per 'pertion ' ' por 'POr portion - I tion neai neal Ignacio and Durango \ was \ ias as a fertile , , well watered district , , and andflurango andDurango Durango flurango people had long looked with withlonging withlonging longmg longing eyes ' on 'On this part of the Ute UteIndIan UteIndian UteIndian IndIan reservation reservatlon Can you blame blamethem blamethem blamethem1 them ? " ' The Southern Utes had long longwished longwished longwished wished for San Juan county as thelr their thelrown theirown theirown own ownvith , \ with \vith vith at that time its thoucands thoucandsof thou ymdsof nds ndsof of deer , good grass , thousands of acres acresof acresof acresof of natural meadows at La Sal with withfine withfine fine clear dear water and many sprmgs springs Here springsHere sprmgsHere , Indeed , was their "Happy Happy " Hunt Hunt- HuntIng Hunting Hunting - ing Ground ' on earth C Can n you blame blamethem blamethem0 them ? " Here , also , were a number of ofpIOneer ofpioneer ofpioneer pIOneer families who had struggled struggledalong struggledalong struggledalong along for many years and had their all allinvested allinvested allinvested invested in their land and 'and ' ' as a rule ruleonly ruleonly ruleonly only a few head of cattle , , or at most mosta , , a few hundred htmdred head At that time timethere timethere timethere there companythe was the Carlisle Cattle company , , the Pittsburgh Cattle company , the LC LC L C Cattle company and a number ofsmaller of smaller cattle owners . . We had our ouraU ourall ourall aU all invested mvested here Can you blame us usfor usfor usfor for making makmg a fight to hold San Juan Juancounty Juancounty Juancounty county at any cost if it it were neces neces- necessary necessary9 necessary9 - - sary sary9 ? Even to sacrifice our lives l1ves we wewould wewould wewould would do it We were old fashioned fashionedthose fashionedthose fashionedthose those days Few took newspapers of ofany ofany ofany any kind . , mall mail service was poor com- com corn- corn comp cornpared - p pared red to the present , , and 'and ond ' many of us uswould uswould us"would uswould would " not see a paper in weeks , , 'Or Or 'Ormaybe ormaybe ' ormaybe maybe months at a time How could couldwe couldwe couldwe we know what Congress was doing domg at atWashington atWashington atWashington Washington { ( ( didhot ? The majority najority aJorlty of us did didpot didiot pot iot know until the greater ' part 'part ' of 'Of the theJtes 'utes utes ' thetJtes the'utes Jtes were m in t > Dry try Dry ry valley , then we be- be bean be began - gan began gan an to investigate a little , but we did didnot didpot didnot not pot think thmk it so very serious This vas was wasabout , wasabout vasabout about December 20 , 1894Vc 1894 \ We \Vc Vc of the thenorthern thenorthern thenorthern northern part of the county were more moreinterested moreinterested moreInterested interested at that neriod . , than other otherportions otherportions otherportions portions of the county , y r the IndrnnS Indians Indianswere Indianwere ? " were in m camps at atall -all all 'all ' ' - the water holes holesand holesand holesand and springs sprmgs in 111 Dry valley . , Hart Draw DrawHatch , Hatch Point Pomt , , and Silvey Pocket , , and andas andas as the Southern Utes at that time timenumbeied , , numbeled numbeied about eight hundred , , thegreater thegreater the greater part of this number were werecamped werecamped werecamped camped in many different places inContinued m in mContinued ( Continued on page five ) | When San Juan County Was Given to the theSouthern Southern Ute Indians IndiansContinued ( Continued Contmued from first page ) I II I ) : I , this dlstlictlth distiict dlstlict district , , \ with \\lth lth thousands of h'ad had h'adof he h'act hact h'actJ ' ad adof < J ? i of ponies pornes and goats gO'lts gOlts ' , , and It { ! being bing an anopen anopen ai'open aiopen ' open , , drymter dry \ winter \\mter mter tinter during durmg this period periodcattle periodcattle periodcattle cattle must h'leatcl have h'l\e h'l hl e ' \ \ watci \\atcl atcl tatei , , but " were "ere ere Here soscared so sos s scared by tlie the Indians camped as they theyOCt theykt theyc OCt kt OCtf'Were ktwwere fwere f'Were wwere ' at nearly all water holes that . . - . , 'they they ' the ' got little httle littleater httleater \\ater ater \ater water \ ' \ As the rangeswere rangeswere ranges rangeswere were already more or less l le & > 0\ 0 o\er-stocked o er stocked er-stock.ed erstock.ed stock.ed 0erstock.ed over-stocked over \ - . 1 _ ( before the coming coining of the Utes , cattle cattleprices cattleprices . . prices \ weie el e low ( $10 10 $ to $12 12 $ per head headso ) , so one oDe ce cn crn ? n sec see it w t \ is 1S as a desperate sit- sit sitlut1C1 situltici sit-uitin sit uitin - ; ultici ' \ ' " ( Here we learned that Durango Durango Dur- Dur Durango - lu\t1C1 lu t1C1 ' ango people , feeling sure of the Inchan Indian Indianremovable Indianremo\able Indianremo able I Iremoable l , remo\able remo able removable \ bill passing the Senate and andI andf andt and1th and'with andwith I f t ' \\1th 1th with \ President Cleveland Clcvehnd Clevellnd s Ignature signature signaturewould signature1 Ignaturef Ignaturewould would become a liw h\\ h lot hm \ m in mi 1 a ' few fev . "eek.s eek.s eeks weeks " weeksthrough . , f IgnatureI through the Indian Agei-t Agei t Agel.t Agelt Agei.t Ageit - . , David F F'Dav FDav . I ' Dav Day , , at Ignacio , , the Utes " were "ere ere told to tocome tocome tocome come to San Juan county It was wastheirs \ wastheirs as astheirs , theirs ; ; ' 'Washington Washington ' City Man ' ' had hadgiven hadgiven hadgiven given it to them so the Indians were werehonest werehonest were'honest werehonest ' honest iifUhis hfthis 1ttf this matter and " were "ere ere over over- overjoyed overjoyed - joyed to come here And I will "Ill Ill till " state statethat statethat statethat fJOJed overfJOJed that very little httle beef \ was as killed by them themon themon them'on themon ' on the tre stal stait start t and they " wanted "anted anted to make makefriends makeE friends with the settlers The most of ofl ofI l them especially when "hen hen " the they ' found we wefv.ere wewere weFwere fv.ere fvere were . going tou touprotcst to protest protcst _ . their coming conung ( ; herc here A . ' \ Utesheaded Utes Utesheaded J [ hea.ded headed . by "Bridger Bridger " Jack ' ' ( a so-called so called socalledrenegade socalledrenegade so-calledrenegade so calledrenegade - { [ renegade sub-chief sub chief - - > ) and a pretty good goodIndian goodf Indian at that , and " who "ho ho spoke Englishfairly English Engllsh _ . : fairly \ well \\ell ell tell , , visited us at our then thenheadqual thenheadquarters thenheadquaiters ttairlY EngllshttairlY ttairlYell headqual headquarters ters ranch ( ( Sih Sihey ey Brothers ) .i i " . # .iat " at Rattlesnake RI'ttlesnake RIttlesnake ' flat , . where he had a aIt aI ai It I } { ' , ' ' heap big talk . " " We told them that thatI thatfall I i ffall mall we had on eirth e\rth e rth earth ' \ was here CattleH"OUld CattleI Cattle Cattlewould H"OUld HOUld I ' 1 ( -would would - , " stane starve if they ( Indians ) ) remained remained remain- remain remained - . ' ' f $ remainf ; ed That our Governor at Salt Lak.e Lake Laket . 4 . ( City and all the people in Utah "ere ere were wereagainst " wereagainst against their remaining remainmg here , and theyt they t $ | [ must go or there " would "ould ould Could be troublet troubleThey trouble troubleI troubleThey t $ They replied There 'There ' is room for all , , I ; Mormons 'Mormons ' ' , , ' , ' cowbo cowboy ' , Indian Indlan , all SIt SItdown sitdown tl'Mormons tlMormons t SItt 1 I down Dry valley , sit down do\\n do n \ La Sal Salt SalMontIcello SalMonticello t $ MontIcello sit down . , Bluff City sit sitI sitt sitf sitdown I t f down , all good Washington Washmgton City man mantlsay mansay tlsay ( $ | say come sit down Salt Lake Lak.e . Citycapitan City I Lcapitan capitan u no o good Washington Washlngton City Cityrcapitan CityhCapltan + ( ca.pitan capitan rcapitan . pretty soon slap ' 'em em ' jaw Salt4Lake Salt 4Lake . P Lake capitan capstan We no go We v.Ill vIll till v.Illft tillifgght . willt ft $ 8 ifgght fight first , , but stay we will w1ll " t A ' ' * It w \ was as now up to the settlers to act actWe actWe actWe [ We had spent much time in investigat- investigat investigating investigating Investigat-ing Investigat ing - ! | ing the best we knew how There Therewere Therewere Thererwere inItere.sted were only a few of us at that time , in-I in I In- In Interested in - terested interested tere.sted terested . We must get all aU inteiestedif intelestedif interestedif inteiested intelested interested if possible No phones , no ' autos 'autos thse those thsedays thosedays thosefdays ( ) f thsef days , bJ by b > horseback or wagon v . was as the theIOnlY theonly theonly IOnlY ? only waye way \ we \\e e \ had of ot rapid (9) 9 ( ? ) transiti transitt transit transitWe transitiWe t ( We must get the Governor of Utah Utahf Utahand Utahand f $ and the people of Salt Lake CIty Cityt Cityaroused t . aroused , some said , then we could get getthe $ . the true conditions up to Congress and andour . ( our President at Washington Others OthersI Otherssaid Othersj I redf ! said aid that w v . as too slow-too slow too slow - too much red redtape I Itape tape and the tlle cattle " would "ould ould all be deadby dead by the " time " the " Indians nrifniT ; were wprp put nut . backl back I / ? l ton on their rec.ervatIOn recervatIOn reservation re . rvation if at all , and wei we wemust i ' - I weI must make a tight fight We could clean cleanW cleanu cleanup cleanmup W u Mien | Up one ODe camp of Indians , then get to toa I f { a safe place as soon as possible This Thiswould Thiswould Thiswould | would bring federal soldiers at once onceand , 1and [ and an Investigation , and thats that8 v.hatIwe thatwe . what v.hat vhat that I 1 we v.anted vanted wanted . as quick.ly quickly . as posslble possible We Wewere Wewere Iwe | were at that time in San Juan countynorthern county I | Inorthem I ( northern northem part ) out-numbered out numbered - ten to toone toone toone one by the Utes so we could only make makeI makea toI I a fight on one Indian camp with wlth any anyshow anyshow show < of success It was now nowaboutithe 'about about 'aboutIthe ' -aboutithe aboutithe - aboute Ithe e ml middle dle of January and but littlesnow little littletSnow little'snow littlesnow , tSnow snow ' on the ground for stock J M MCunningham MCunningham MiCunningham Cunningham , , Harry Green and JackSnsey Jack MI I . . Sihey Slhey Snsey left . ! for .or or . Salt Lake Lak.e . City to see seep 1 . ' , Governor we 'Vet Vet ' we < ; < ; t and get the people peopleI peoplestirred peoplestirred people'i peoplei I ' stirred up as to our troubles here inSan inSan In ; San Juan county if lf ' possible 'POSSible Utah at i ihat I Ihat ttthat hat time was still shll a territory of the I , Inited iUnited nited fined States and Governor West was waserno wasi wasvemo wasgovernor i \erno erno vemo \ " * by appointment bv by PresIdent PresIdentlevelard Presidentlevelard PresidentClevelard levelard Governoi GovernOl Governor West Wst Virest ( ; had been beenn beenan n ex-Confederate ex Confederate - officer in our CivilA Civil C1VII , iWar /A A / Aar ar , and 'and 'arid arid ' ' truly made us a real fareemg far- far fareemg far-Beemg far Beemg - eemg and statesman-like statesman like tatesm'1n-l1k.e tatesm1nl1k.e tatesm'1n tatesm1n l1k.e l1ke ' - . GO\ GO |