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fistoric Period <br />• <br />Three tribes of Indians occupied northwestern Colorado: the Ute, Arapaho, and <br />Shoshoni. The Utc and Arapaho were frequently in conflict over Arapaho utiliv,+ition of <br />traditionally Ute land (Athearn 1977). The Uinta Ute were the primary occupants of <br />northsvest Colorado. Subsistence •.vas based on a nomadic hunting and gathering <br />economy, ~.vith summering in mountain parks and wintering in the Yampa or White River <br />valleys (Athearn 1977). A site of probable Ute affiliation was excavated by the Colorado <br />;lighway Department just outside of Steamboat Springs.• <br />The first known C~~opean entrance into northwestern Colorado was the Domingucz- <br />f:scalante expedition in 1776. TY+is expedition moved up the Douglas Cree!< drainage to <br />tl+e White River Valley and west to Utalt, never approaching the study area. Little <br />?:uropean presence r+as felt until after 1780, with the advent of fur trapping in <br />northwestern Colorado. 'William Ashley organized a major expedition in 1822, anti the fur <br />trade boomed for 20 years. <br />Several explorers, including John Fremont and John SVesley Powell, passed through the <br />area just before and after the collapse of the fur trade in 1843. They hag little good to • <br />say about the worth of the area (Athearn 1977). <br />Cold .vas discovered at Hahns Pcak by 1861, and by 1870 this tivas a booming town, though <br />most other areas were not settled until after 1881, when the Utes were moved to Utnh. <br />Then cattle ranching expanded and towns spring up. By 1900 most towns in northwestern <br />Colorado, such as Steamboat Springs, Craig, and Meeker were settled. <br />Since 1900 cattle, sheep, energy, and tourism `Lave been the economic basis of <br />exploitation of northwestern Colorado (Athearn 1977). Historic sites in the Yampa Basin <br />ane ~anerally architectural (McNamara 1978). <br />• <br />'Personal communication, John Gooding, stay 1980. <br />18 <br />