Bent’s Old Fort National Historic
Site is sponsoring a “Frontier Skills Day” for adult participants on Saturday, March
16, 2013 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pre-registered
participants will experience the work and life of a 1840s trapper-hunter,
trader, craftsman, laborer, soldier or domestic. This program will emphasize the historic
value of Bent’s Old Fort, as well as the cultural relationships and the type of
work performed in frontier Western America.
Bent’s Old Fort staff and veteran
volunteers will provide instruction in the skills and 19th century
work techniques of each role. Some of
the work will include adobe construction, livestock use, frontier cooking,
military drills, Indian sign language, horse packing, blacksmithing, carpentry,
animal tracking, trapping, and survival techniques.
The
training
is designed for adults (18 and older) and will provide a sample of
what life was like in the Southwest during the 1840s. Participants must
sign up in advance. Registration forms can found online at www.nps.gov/beol or
requested by calling (719) 383-5026. A
fee of $20 is charged to participants which includes all needed supplies and
materials.
“Our
summer Kids Quarters program has, for years, provided children with a taste of
living history at the fort,” said the park’s Chief of Interpretation Rick
Wallner. “With this program, we will
give that same opportunity to adults, with a slightly expanded program. It will be a great introduction for anyone wanting
to explore the possibility of becoming a volunteer for the fort’s living
history events.”
The
public is invited to come that day and watch participants as they work. The fee for touring the fort is $3 for adults and $2 for children
6-12. Those under 5, National Park or
Interagency pass holders, and Golden Age or Golden Access cardholders are
admitted free. Bent’s Old Fort National
Historic Site is located on Colorado Highway 194, 8 miles east of La Junta or
13 miles west of Las Animas, Colorado. For more information, visit the park’s
website at www.nps.gov/beol or call (719) 383-5023.
