PERMFILE44990

• Permit No: C1996084
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Section_Exhibit Name: EXHIBIT 05 CULTURAL RESOURCES REPORT 7
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

1
Indian problems. By 1821 when trade opened between the United States and Mexico, the frontier
' outposts appeaz to have been affected less extensively than the main population centers such as Santa
Fe and Taos. The frontiersmen already had access to the necessary items which they obtained
through their relationships with the Plains Indians, particularly the Comanche and Ute. Patterns of
' trade among Indian groups were well established when the Spanish arrived. The latter group and
their descendants adopted these pattems and methods, which continued despite the political changes
occurring in the Southwest (Kenner 1969; Weber 1982). Only in the early 1860s in the outlying
' areas did the pattems begin to change, as the impact expanded from the population centers in Santa
Fe and Taos into the southern Colorado region.
The Research Design
' The observations at SLA7186 are somewhat tentative and can be considered a working
hypothesis. They do, however, provide sufficient information to enable a general research
' framework to be developed to serve as a research design. The research design is preliminary in that
general research questions are presented for purposes of developing a contextual framework to use
in determining the site's National Register eligibility. Using data from the three RP3 contexts,
' Colorado Southern Frontier Historic Context (Mehls 1984), Colorado Urbanization and Planning
Context (Hill 1984), and the Colorado Historical Archaeology Context (Buckles and Buckles 1984),
and information from historical archaeology previously undertaken in the Spanish borderlands
regions of southern Colorado and northern New Mexico (Carrillo ] 985, 1986, 1990, 1994; Camllo
et al. 1993, 1995, 1997; Hardesty et al. 1995; and others) a preliminary research design is presented.
' With regard to sites associated with the former Hispanic New Mexican migrations into the
San Luis Valley in the 19th century, Mehls (1984) and Hill (1984) offer assessments. Mehls (1984)
indicates that the data are insufficient to determine the number and condition of resources that exist
' or once existed. He goes on to add:
Numerous examples of different cultural resources associated with the theme exist today in the region
' including adobe buildings of all kinds, corrals for breaking and threshing, fences, walls, churches, and
chapels. However, many of the original plazas, settlements, and associated structures no longer exist,
and no systematic survey has been done to identify those in good condition and the location of the
' ruins of former settlements. Although some cemeteries are still used, in other cases they are not well
marked or the markers have totally disappeared from the surface. None of the town squares are in
current use, but several are still recognizable. Several early settlements are well preserved and
' maintained.
Hill (1984) also offers an assessment on these types of sites:
' The condition of these resottrces is likely to be highly variable. Time and an aggressive Anglo culture
will have taken their toll. Plazas likely will be compromised, adobe will have been washed way, old
' curved roads may have been straightened, the varas system will be adapted to modem agricultural
machinery, and commons may be reused for various new purposes. On the othcr hand, many towns
. may be in remarkably good shape due to their isolation and maintenance of old ways. It is important
to find out.