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~ 1" h;..I I: t \.,.. ..; 'r:1' ~ . . / / ,// / The prehistory and History of the Encampment River Basin Routt National Forest Northern Colorado David R. Stuart Office of the State Archaeologist November 1976 Introduction The "Main Fork and West Fork to their confluence, thence the Encampment to the COlorado-Wyoming border, including tributaries and headwaters," hereafter called the Encampment River Basin, has been authorized by Congress for study under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, Cultural--i.e., archaeological and historical--resources which may add to the suitability of the Encampment for inclusion in the National System must be considered as part of the Encampment River Study, No archaeological research has been conducted in the Encampment River Basin of Colorado. Many areas of Routt National Forest have, however, been archaeologically surveyed under the Cooperative Agree- ment between the Colorado State Historical Society/Office of the State Archaeologist and the U. S. Forest Service, The final reports of those surveys form the nucleus of this prehistory summary, Likewise, the history of the Encampment River Basin has not yet been intensively studied, but Routt National Forest has compiled, through an on-going program, a considerable amount of historic data for the area. This Routt Forest data, su?plemented by data from the Colorado Inventory of Historic Sites, is the main source of the historic information presented below, I also accompanied the Study Team on a backpacking trip into the Encampment River Basin in July of 1976. Although this study trip can in no way be considered an intensive cultural resources survey, few cultural resources were observed, No prehistoric archaeological re- sources were encountered, and only a few "tie-hack" cabin ruins and the historic Hog Park Guard Station were noticed as sites having historical value, Prehistory The Encampment River Basin in Colorado may have been inhabited by Paleo-Indians as early as 20,000 years ago, Sites indicative of this cultural/temporal stage--which was characterized by large mammal (mammoth, extinct bison species, etc,) hunting and lanceolate project- ile points--have been discovered in surrounding areas of Colorado and Wyoming (Husted 1962; Wheat 1972; Wormington 1957), Husted (1962:65)