SLV Archaeological Network Activities Reports

Ute Mountain Tribal Park Tour

Twenty-nine people attended a fascinating tour of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Park near Cortez in June. The 100,000-acre park, on the Ute Mountain Ute Indian Reservation, has been set aside to preserve remnants of the Ancestral Puebloan and Ute cultures. Our Ute guide led us on a journey through sites usually only explored by smaller groups. From the park headquarters we drove up the Mancos River valley where undeveloped sites, including several kivas, were visited. Sites are generally unexcavated revealing original rockwork and ancient timbers. A variety of pottery shards, stone tools, grinding stones, and small corncobs were well represented in the informal collections placed near the sites by previous visitors. Narrow rocky trails, accessible by ladders up to 40' high, led us to canyon villages situated in large rock shelters. Our Ute guide provided expert commentary on the sites and also provided us with information relative to past and present Ute culture. Everyone seemed to enjoy the trip and we plan on repeating it next year if there is an interest. If you would like to visit the Tribal Park on your own this summer or fall you can call 1-800-847-5485 for more information or visit their website at http://www.utemountainute.com/tribalpark.htm

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Upcoming SLV Archaeological Network Activities

Saturday, August 23 Big Horn Creek Archaeological Inventory. An archaeological inventory in the area of Big Horn Creek in the mountains to the west of Antonito will occur on Saturday, August 23. The outing will involve walking transects searching for evidence of prehistoric campsites. The area has a demonstrated high density of lithic sites with a variety of stone tools. Wear hiking boots and bring water and lunch along. We will meet at the junction of US Highway 285 and Colorado Highway 17 (just south of Antonito) at 10:00 AM. There is a turnout on the right at the road junction. Look for a white sedan. Please contact Vince Spero at 719-852-6242 (work), 719-873-5916 (home), or by e-mail at vspero@peoplepc.com for more information.

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McIntire Ranch Historic Test Excavation

A test excavation of historic archaeological deposits associated with the adobe ruin of the ranch of former Colorado governor Albert W. McIntire will be conducted on Saturday and Sunday, September 27 and 28. The house, built around 1880, is located at McIntire Spring several miles from the town of Sanford in the southern San Luis Valley. The undisturbed historic archaeological deposits, relating directly to the occupation of the dwelling, are considered an important feature of the site. Excavation can yield information pertaining to the lifestyle of people living in the house. Albert McIntire graduated from Yale College in 1875 obtaining a degree in law. He soon headed west to Denver where he started a law practice. In 1880 he moved to the SLV to become a rancher where he learned first-hand the art of Colorado water law. In 1884 he became a Conejos County Judge and by 1891 was appointed to the 12th Judicial District where he served until the Colorado Republican party nominated him as a candidate for the governorship of Colorado. In the 1894 election he defeated the incumbent Populist governor Davis H. Waite by a relatively large number of votes.

McIntire's accomplishments included working for women's rights, expansion of the state mental asylum, providing for uniform sentencing in criminal cases, and banking reform aimed at protecting the public. He also created a system of state forests and established water conservation measures. The Governor was forced to send the National Guard troops into the Leadville area during a confrontation with a mining union in 1896. McIntire was not re-elected in 1896 and he returned to his ranch. He died in Colorado Springs in 1935. He is buried in the La Jara Cemetery. The Bureau of Land Management now administers the land encompassing the ranch. Please contact Vince Spero at 719-852-6242 (work), 719-873-5916 (home), or by e-mail at vspero@peoplepc.com for more information and to sign up for the project.

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Marian Seegrist Receives PAAC Scholar Status

Marian Seegrist of Alamosa is the first San Luis Valley Archaeological Network member to receive Program for Avocational Archaeological Certification (PAAC) Scholar Status for completing thirteen PAAC classes on archaeological topics. She received her award at the Colorado Archaeological Society meeting in Denver on July 26. Congratulations go to Marian for being the first member to complete all of the courses offered. Kevin Black, Assistant State Archaeologist of Colorado, teaches two courses each year in Alamosa. The next class, Principals in Archaeological Excavation, will be held in Alamosa on November 7, 8, and 9, 2003. Please contact Loretta Mitson at 719-843-5328 or by email at mitson53@yahoo.com for more information about the upcoming class. For more information on classes in other Colorado cities go the CAS website at http://coloradohistory-oahp.org/index.html

Click for Membership Form

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