Jon Horn of Alpine Archeology in Montrose presented new information on the north fork of the Old Spanish Trail at IAWC’s annual meeting March 20.  Contracted by BLM, Horn researched and found physical evidence of 76 miles of trail in Colorado and over 200 miles in Utah.

“Delta County has some of the best examples of trail that we saw anywhere in Colorado and Utah,” Horn said.  Highway 50 essentially follows the route of the Old Spanish Trail.  What began as a trail was varied a bit for wagons.  Wagons gave way to automobiles and roads were built to accommodate growing traffic.

The north branch was a trade  route for early explorers, trappers and traders. From 1829-1848 men and mules traveled the Old Spanish Trail transporting woolen goods from Santa Fe to Los Angeles, where clothing was traded for horses and mules. More information is on the website www.oldspanishtrail.org

Fort Uncompahgre is a replica of the 1828 Fort built for trade along the Old Spanish Trail.