What do you think?
Rate this book
Bent's Fort
Bent's Fort was a landmark of the American frontier, a huge private fort on the upper Arkansas River in present southeastern Colorado. Established by the adventurers Charles and William Bent, it stood until 1849 as the center of the Indian trade of the central plains. David Lavender's chronicle of these men and their part in the opening of the West has been conceded a place beside the works of Parkman and Prescott.
479 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1954
14 people are currently reading
146 people want to read
About the author
David Lavender
74 books16 followersDavid Sievert Lavender was a well-known historian of the Western United States, nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize, who is best remembered by many for his River Runners of the Grand Canyon.
Lavender spent most of his life in Ojai, California. An articulate and deeply knowledgeable speaker on the political and social history of the American West, he often spoke at the annual Telluride Film Festival.
Lavender spent most of his life in Ojai, California. An articulate and deeply knowledgeable speaker on the political and social history of the American West, he often spoke at the annual Telluride Film Festival.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
March 25, 2021
For me, a well written history adheres to the facts as they are known through the written records of the time or, at worst, the oral history of events passed down through the generations. In spite of the paucity of available records with which he had to work, David Lavender’s story of trail-blazing trappers and the Bent brothers is a marvel. By focusing on the iconic trading center known as “Bent’s Fort” we are exposed to a myriad of colorful characters, like William and Charles Bent, Kit Carson, Ceran St. Vrain, John C. Fremont and others who play important roles in the Westward migration of whites through hostile Indian Territory. This is a broad story that covers a lot of territory at a pivotal time in our nation’s history. Lavender manages to convey not only the significant events of this era, but he brings it down to a personal level; we learn the tragic fates of the children and wives of these adventurers. Those who chose Native American wives suffer the most as their loved ones become victims of the struggle between Indians and Whites.
As the author himself admits in his afterward, there is more to be discovered about this chapter of America’s evolution. His book, reliant upon the few extant records of that time, could have been more detailed and perhaps another, later historian will have more material to work with as time unfolds and more documents are unearthed.
As the author himself admits in his afterward, there is more to be discovered about this chapter of America’s evolution. His book, reliant upon the few extant records of that time, could have been more detailed and perhaps another, later historian will have more material to work with as time unfolds and more documents are unearthed.
August 22, 2016
I was introduced to David Lavender’s work many years ago, although I didn’t know it at the time. When I was young, my parents had a set of American Heritage books on the bookshelf that I was constantly poring over. One of them was “The American Heritage History of the Great West.” This was an overview of the entire westward push from the late 18th century through the 19th century. This book planted the seed of interest in the history of the West. It was a seed that would not fully germinate until many years later.
Fast forward nearly 40 years to 2015. After my father passed away I brought the set of American Heritage books home to read once again (and hopefully inspire my kids to read when they are older), and cracked open the Great West volume and began to read. Since I am now much older and more observant, I learned that David Lavender was the author of this book. As I read the book I found my interest in the early history of the West was re-kindled and led me to seek out additional books on the subject, especially books by Lavender, whose style I enjoy. This finally led me to the book “Bent’s Fort,” which is a highly regarded history of the Santa Fe Trail and antebellum Southwest.
Bent’s fort was a large private trading fort on the Arkansas River in what is now southeastern Colorado. This volume is more a history of the opening of the Santa Fe Trail and the early history of the Southwest than it is about the fort itself; Bent’s fort is a kind of centerpiece around which the history of the area revolves.
Before reading this book, I did not have any real knowledge of the opening of the Southwest. It turns out that the Santa Fe Trail was, in part, opened due to the effective closing of the Missouri River to fur trading due to the growing hostility of the Indians and the increasing monopoly of Astor’s American Fur Company. The Bent brothers, ever ambitious, were among many who decided to try the newly blazed trail to the Colorado Rockies that ran along the Arkansas River. This was an overland route through arid semi-desert that was fraught with dangers both environmental and human. Indian tribes of varying temperament would at times harry the caravans on their trip. Then upon reaching Taos and later Santa Fe, the capricious Pueblos and Mexicans alternately welcomed or were hostile toward the Americans. This is a story of adventure, toil, privation, terror, sadness and sudden violent death. Even so, these men continually returned to the wilderness finding the growing civilization of St. Louis not to their liking for long.
I enjoy Lavender’s style. His books are easily read and informative and he moves the reader along fairly briskly. To me the mark of a good history book is when you get a sense that you are there with the characters, vicariously experiencing their various adventures and trials. Lavender is successful in bringing this to several of the multitude of characters in this book. The strongest characters are, of course, the main protagonists, Charles and William Bent. Others that are fairly well fleshed out are Ceran St.Vrain who is the Bent’s business partner and Kit Carson.
The author cites the dearth of reliable sources and admits that he often must resort to the most likely scenario based upon this conflicting information. He always mentions when he is doing so and his analyses certainly make sense and do not detract from the narrative in any way. Copious end notes are as interesting and enlightening as the main text itself and in these Lavender points out places where the sources were such that he had to piece it all together as best he could.
It was sometimes difficult to keep track of the numerous characters who come and go throughout the book. Some of these characters are familiar ones like Manuel Lisa, Jim Beckwourth and Jim Bridger. Others like Sylvestre Pratte were not (at least to me).
Lavender’s portrait of the Indians is fascinating. Despite his use of the dated term “savages,” his analysis of their ways and relations with the whites and Mexicans are insightful. You will not find the noble savage in this book. What you see is a culture that is fundamentally at odds with the American settlers and merchants. In a sense it appears that the clash between the two cultures was inevitable. The Indians culture of theft was antithetical to the Americans view of private property; stealing livestock was simply a way of life for the plains Indians. Additionally, the Americans could not understand that the chiefs of the various bands could not really control their wild young braves let alone stop them from their depradations with any consistency. Nor did they understand that there were many chiefs and not one leader of the whole tribe. The Indians are painted as touchy, undisciplined, violent and disorganized. Often they are gullible and then alternatively shrewd. The Americans in general are grasping, violent and ruthless. This analysis seems to be pretty accurate to me as both sides were simply people of different cultures who possessed all the standard human flaws. The Bents, particularly William, had generally honest dealings with the Indians. The Cheyennes were “their” Indians and they tried to treat them fairly. Throughout the book we see the Indians becoming ever more dependent on the largesse (and whiskey) of the Americans. This is something that the Bents see as well. When the government finally took an interest in the Indians of the Southern Plains and assigned an Indian agent there, Lavender writes:
"Headquarters of Fitzpatrick’s new agency was to be Bent’s Fort. William heard it gloomily. Not because of Broken Hand. The mountains had produced no better men than Tom Fitzpatrick; if agent there must be, he would fill the job well. But from the fort’s inception the government had not given one solitary hoot about the Cheyennes and Arapaho. They were Bent, St.Vrain Indians, their lives and the company’s life interlocked in mutual honesty for mutual benefits. Now…who could tell? But one prediction was safe: things would never be the same again.
While the Indian trade is the main focus of the Bent, St.Vrain Company, we also learn about their dealings with the alternatively friendly and hostile Mexicans. The remote province of New Mexico is essentially lawless and desperately poor. The locals both rely upon the Americans for trade goods that are not available from Mexico City and are hostile to the successful Americans who they deeply resent. The result is a complex cocktail of emotions that is further fueled by the expansionism first of Texas and later the United States and culminating in a war that threatens to destroy the Bents and their company.
Lavender’s book is an interesting and well written history of the Santa Fe Trail and the trade that flourished along it during the years prior to the Civil War. I enjoyed it greatly and recommend it to anyone who is interested in the settling of the West.
Fast forward nearly 40 years to 2015. After my father passed away I brought the set of American Heritage books home to read once again (and hopefully inspire my kids to read when they are older), and cracked open the Great West volume and began to read. Since I am now much older and more observant, I learned that David Lavender was the author of this book. As I read the book I found my interest in the early history of the West was re-kindled and led me to seek out additional books on the subject, especially books by Lavender, whose style I enjoy. This finally led me to the book “Bent’s Fort,” which is a highly regarded history of the Santa Fe Trail and antebellum Southwest.
Bent’s fort was a large private trading fort on the Arkansas River in what is now southeastern Colorado. This volume is more a history of the opening of the Santa Fe Trail and the early history of the Southwest than it is about the fort itself; Bent’s fort is a kind of centerpiece around which the history of the area revolves.
Before reading this book, I did not have any real knowledge of the opening of the Southwest. It turns out that the Santa Fe Trail was, in part, opened due to the effective closing of the Missouri River to fur trading due to the growing hostility of the Indians and the increasing monopoly of Astor’s American Fur Company. The Bent brothers, ever ambitious, were among many who decided to try the newly blazed trail to the Colorado Rockies that ran along the Arkansas River. This was an overland route through arid semi-desert that was fraught with dangers both environmental and human. Indian tribes of varying temperament would at times harry the caravans on their trip. Then upon reaching Taos and later Santa Fe, the capricious Pueblos and Mexicans alternately welcomed or were hostile toward the Americans. This is a story of adventure, toil, privation, terror, sadness and sudden violent death. Even so, these men continually returned to the wilderness finding the growing civilization of St. Louis not to their liking for long.
I enjoy Lavender’s style. His books are easily read and informative and he moves the reader along fairly briskly. To me the mark of a good history book is when you get a sense that you are there with the characters, vicariously experiencing their various adventures and trials. Lavender is successful in bringing this to several of the multitude of characters in this book. The strongest characters are, of course, the main protagonists, Charles and William Bent. Others that are fairly well fleshed out are Ceran St.Vrain who is the Bent’s business partner and Kit Carson.
The author cites the dearth of reliable sources and admits that he often must resort to the most likely scenario based upon this conflicting information. He always mentions when he is doing so and his analyses certainly make sense and do not detract from the narrative in any way. Copious end notes are as interesting and enlightening as the main text itself and in these Lavender points out places where the sources were such that he had to piece it all together as best he could.
It was sometimes difficult to keep track of the numerous characters who come and go throughout the book. Some of these characters are familiar ones like Manuel Lisa, Jim Beckwourth and Jim Bridger. Others like Sylvestre Pratte were not (at least to me).
Lavender’s portrait of the Indians is fascinating. Despite his use of the dated term “savages,” his analysis of their ways and relations with the whites and Mexicans are insightful. You will not find the noble savage in this book. What you see is a culture that is fundamentally at odds with the American settlers and merchants. In a sense it appears that the clash between the two cultures was inevitable. The Indians culture of theft was antithetical to the Americans view of private property; stealing livestock was simply a way of life for the plains Indians. Additionally, the Americans could not understand that the chiefs of the various bands could not really control their wild young braves let alone stop them from their depradations with any consistency. Nor did they understand that there were many chiefs and not one leader of the whole tribe. The Indians are painted as touchy, undisciplined, violent and disorganized. Often they are gullible and then alternatively shrewd. The Americans in general are grasping, violent and ruthless. This analysis seems to be pretty accurate to me as both sides were simply people of different cultures who possessed all the standard human flaws. The Bents, particularly William, had generally honest dealings with the Indians. The Cheyennes were “their” Indians and they tried to treat them fairly. Throughout the book we see the Indians becoming ever more dependent on the largesse (and whiskey) of the Americans. This is something that the Bents see as well. When the government finally took an interest in the Indians of the Southern Plains and assigned an Indian agent there, Lavender writes:
"Headquarters of Fitzpatrick’s new agency was to be Bent’s Fort. William heard it gloomily. Not because of Broken Hand. The mountains had produced no better men than Tom Fitzpatrick; if agent there must be, he would fill the job well. But from the fort’s inception the government had not given one solitary hoot about the Cheyennes and Arapaho. They were Bent, St.Vrain Indians, their lives and the company’s life interlocked in mutual honesty for mutual benefits. Now…who could tell? But one prediction was safe: things would never be the same again.
While the Indian trade is the main focus of the Bent, St.Vrain Company, we also learn about their dealings with the alternatively friendly and hostile Mexicans. The remote province of New Mexico is essentially lawless and desperately poor. The locals both rely upon the Americans for trade goods that are not available from Mexico City and are hostile to the successful Americans who they deeply resent. The result is a complex cocktail of emotions that is further fueled by the expansionism first of Texas and later the United States and culminating in a war that threatens to destroy the Bents and their company.
Lavender’s book is an interesting and well written history of the Santa Fe Trail and the trade that flourished along it during the years prior to the Civil War. I enjoyed it greatly and recommend it to anyone who is interested in the settling of the West.
May 18, 2016
Superb!!!
August 8, 2018
I thought this a truly fantastic book. I had never heard of Bent's Fort, the Adobe Empire, or the American Southwest pre-1860. David Lavender's narrative history reminds me of Dr. Warren Carroll's many excellent historical texts.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. I had never even heard of the Bents before, but I came to feel for them like close friends by the end of the text. I probably would've finished it longer if my Summer excursion had lasted longer, and my children were not continually in need of playing with their old man.
My only complaint was the physical condition of the book itself. Someone, whom I will refer to as Erik J., had previously owned the book, stamped it with their name and email address, and then (rather unsuccessfully), attempted to obscure the information with a black Sharpie. This failed to hide the contact information, but made portions of the book unreadable. Thanks, Erik.
I can't recommend this book highly enough. I had never even heard of the Bents before, but I came to feel for them like close friends by the end of the text. I probably would've finished it longer if my Summer excursion had lasted longer, and my children were not continually in need of playing with their old man.
My only complaint was the physical condition of the book itself. Someone, whom I will refer to as Erik J., had previously owned the book, stamped it with their name and email address, and then (rather unsuccessfully), attempted to obscure the information with a black Sharpie. This failed to hide the contact information, but made portions of the book unreadable. Thanks, Erik.
April 16, 2023
Knowing that my husband and I are planning to visit Bent's Fort in a few months, a friend recommended this book. OMG! Mr. Lavender's story is full of detail and is very enlightening. It is the story of Charles and William Bent, their families, and associates including Ceran St. Vrain, fur traders, Kit Carson, plus many others. Then, delves into their relationships with the Native Americans, the Mexicans and the United States government, the connectedness with the Sante Fe Trail, Taos and Sante Fe, and Westport, and so much more. This is the period with the Mexican War, the Civil War, and the Indian Wars and he details the interrelatedness of it all. Mr. Lavender not only tells the overall, bigger picture, but also the personal, human side of struggle and tragedy.
March 8, 2019
My daughter found a old torn copy of this paperback. At times I had to set aside loose pages to continue reading the book without it falling apart in my hands. The effort was well worth it. Having visited Bent's Fort in southeastern Colorado, I was encourage to learn so much about the Bents and others that pioneered the area. I would recommend this read to anyone interested in learning about the development of the West.
April 16, 2020
More than just a biography on the Bent brothers and their Fort, Lavender's weaves an approachable narrative of frontier Colorado and New Mexico in the early to mid 1800's wherein the thread of the Bent brothers runs throughout.
I would recommend it to anyone interested in the region during that time period.
I would recommend it to anyone interested in the region during that time period.
June 20, 2018
This is a great book if one wants to know every single detail about the Bent brothers. I, however, did not want to spend 300 pages going over every detail. A shorter overview would be more readable.
August 25, 2011
The hearty souls that were part of this book are long gone. Jedidiah Smith, William Bent, Ceran St. Vrain and various players from the Old West are part of this menangerie that is brought together by brilliant author David Lanvender who passed away several years ago. The book is 395 pages of sorrow, courage, ruggedness and entreprneurialship that starts with the arrival of the Bents from the Old World, From here, their decendants emmigrated to Missouri where William Bent and his brother George were born. The story tells of early adventures of the Bents trapping for beavers for their fur which came at great physical cost to the trapping parties, the fomration of a fur company to rival competitors incuding Astor's company and the grand establishment of Bent's Fort on the Santa Fe Trail which served as a way station for traders, both white and indian, to exhange goods and money. The old fort lasted from 1833 to 1849 when William Bent decided that the rising conflicts on the Great Plains between the Indians and the white men would hinder trade. The great cholera outbreak among the Southern Cheyenne in 1849 which wiped out half of the tribe further reduced trade potential and was another factor in its closure. Having lost his brothers to disease and war and was not willing for anybody to use his fort, he demolished the fort to erase it from his memory and set up a new fort further east. His new fort would survive only another decade when he gave it over to the United States Army as part of the Fort Lyon complex when he realized that Indian trade was all but gone and that the Civil War was on the horizon.
The story discusses William Bent's family relationships. He married a Cheyenne woman to show his sincerity to the Indians that he wished to stay in that part of the country for the long haul. His son Charles Bent was known for his depredations of white settlers while one of his other sons George fought for the Confederacy. After he sold his new fort to the U.S. Army, he soldiered in the trade business until he died from pneumonia in 1869. Ceran St. Vrain was his long-time partner who went his separate way to settle down in New Mexico where he died in 1870. On the whole this book was a great read with a substantial end note section which is almost a book to itself and an index. I recommend this book to anybody who wants to know how business and trade was in the Old West.
The story discusses William Bent's family relationships. He married a Cheyenne woman to show his sincerity to the Indians that he wished to stay in that part of the country for the long haul. His son Charles Bent was known for his depredations of white settlers while one of his other sons George fought for the Confederacy. After he sold his new fort to the U.S. Army, he soldiered in the trade business until he died from pneumonia in 1869. Ceran St. Vrain was his long-time partner who went his separate way to settle down in New Mexico where he died in 1870. On the whole this book was a great read with a substantial end note section which is almost a book to itself and an index. I recommend this book to anybody who wants to know how business and trade was in the Old West.
April 17, 2021
This is a book for serious history buffs. Since Bent’s Fort was an important focal point to the trading done in the SW, I think you can say this is a history of business along the Santa Fe Trail and the surrounding territory. It is that and more. It is a history not of Bent’s Fort as much as it is a history of the SW in the 19th Century. The book is filled with a lot of details regarding life, trade (or business), personalities, and culture clashes in the SW. I often felt I was getting bogged down in minutiae (my reason for a 2 star rating). The last few chapters, which were 4 star chapters, brought this book to a tragic ending with the Sand Creek Massacre and the failure of good people like the Bent brothers, particularly William, who understood the ways of the Native Americans, who tried but could not change the impact of American emigration into the west. This book is not just a history of the SW, but also an exploration why people like the Bents couldn’t change the course of events.
November 18, 2014
Charles and William Bent were early fur traders. They were involved in the beaver fur trade, the Santa Fe trail and the buffalo robe trade. The Bent's were honest friends of the native people, especially the Cheyenne. The silk hat saved the beavers from extermination but the Bent's best efforts couldn't save the Plains Indians. Charles Bent was the first territorial governor of New Mexico. The Bent's trading post, Bent's Fort, was visited by everybody. Kit Carson, Fremont, Jim Bridger and everybody else who was in the west between 1820 and 1850. A sad but honest report of things that really happened. Some school boards might not like this book, it tells an unpleasant truth. While Charles and William tired to do what was best for the Indians of the Plains too many others just wanted to cheat them and steal their lands. In the end the others prevailed.
October 16, 2013
This is perhaps my fourth time reading David Lavender's Bent's Fort spread over forty years and it still holds up. It's history in context in the lives of the Bent brothers who were trappers, traders, tribesmen and indians and indian fighters, mountain men, drovers, ranchers and governors, on the Santa Fe trail from 1820 to 1880. This is a great read.
August 31, 2015
This is an excellent book about the Santa Fe Trail and how the fort contributed to the trade route. The Bent brothers were figures in New Mexico's history. I love how the author writes the story in an easily understandable manner. He gives plenty of detail without giving too much. I highly recommend it to those exploring trade and settlement of the west.
April 19, 2010
Another good book on the Taos fur trade industry. Bent's fort was pretty important and saw a lot of action.......
Lavender is a really goo writer. I've read a few of his books and I love his style and research methods.
Lavender is a really goo writer. I've read a few of his books and I love his style and research methods.
November 25, 2024
EPIC! This is one of those exhaustingly well researched books, but it is so full of fascinating, delightful, and hair raising stories you don't feel like you're slogging through endless facts. I'll never forget the surprisingly touching vignette about William Bent and the end of the fort.
October 17, 2009
A very good local and Colorado history work.
January 10, 2013
The journaled book was an interesting way to learn about the settling of southeastern Colorado.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews