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hunting or as far south as Taos, New Mexico for trading (Grady 1984; Athearn 1981). 2:3.2.2 History The historic period in northwestern Colorado begins with the arrival of the Europeans. The earliest visit was the Spanish exploring party of Dominguez-Escalante in 1776, but the first settlers were the trappers and traders who arrived in the early 1800's. The period lasts until the present day and is distinguished by European attempts to conquer the land and gain a fortune, or even just a living, from the numerous natural resources present in this portion of Colorado. Athearn (1975; 1981) has aptly described the history of northwestern Colorado as one of continual booms ending with a bust. Following 'is a brief synopsis of major historical events from 1776 to the present. In their search for a new route to Monterey, California, Fray Silvestre Velez de Escalante and Fray Francisco Atanasio Dominguez, became the first known Europeans to enter northwestern Colorado. In September 1776, they crossed over the Grand Mesa into the Grand Valley near Rifle, approximately 65 km (40 mi.) south of Meeker. They contin- ued down the Colorado River to DeBeque, up Roan Creek, and then down Douglas Creek to the White River which led them into Utah. Finally, giving up on ever reaching California, the group entered Arizona and returned to Santa Fe. The journal provides the earliest written account of the native groups encountered along the way. However, it was not until 1819 that Europeans again returned to northwestern Colorado (Athearn 1981:17,21). Trappers arrived by 1819 but the area was not opened to trapping on a large scale until William H. Ashley formed a fur company in 1822, and subsequently found his way to northwestern Colorado by 1824. No forts were established but a rendezvous system was set up to trade with the Indians. Brown's Hole in northwestern Colorado became a major fur trad- ing center (Athearn 1975; 1981). By the early 1840's demand for beaver fur was down and most of the prime beaver areas had been trapped out leading to the decline of the fur trade. Explorers were the next group of Europeans to enter the area. These included Thomas Jefferson Farnham seeking an Oregon Trail down the Yampa River in 1839, Captain Benjamin L.E. Bonneville in 1826 and 1832, John Charles Fremont in 1844-5, and John Wesley Powell in 1868-9. The latter wintered on the White River west of Meeker, near the Indian Agency which had been established in 1868 to deal with the Utes. These explorers noted the land and sent out the first reports on northwestern Colorado (Athearn 1975; 1981). In 1868-9 the railroad which eras built through southern Wyoming was the first major transportation incursion into the area. Until the early 1900's, when a railroad was built to Craig, the Wyoming railroad remained the major form of transportation for people and goods into and • out of the area. In 1873 the Brunot Treaty gave the Utes northwestern Colorado as a 14