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Show 181 The founding of Fort Duchesne had a stabilizing effect on the Utes and the whites in the Uintah country. It caused a rapid expansion of the economy, an influx of white employees who worked for the expanded Federal establishment. In an area called "The Strip" along the eastern border of the military reserve a group of saloons, whorehouses and other traditional service oriented enterprises blossomed into a village which was characteristic of such settlements elsewhere in the west. It was crime-ridden, shabby, and a constant source of irritation to the commanders of Fort Duchesne. The military post on the Uintah was not very active in its short existence, 1886-1912. It was established to guard Eastern Utah, Western Colorado and Southern Wyoming. The use of the troops was called for shortly after the opening of the fort. A group of the White River Utes under Captain Jack and Colorow had been unwilling to go to the Uintah reservation and had presented the Indian Service with a constant problem. In late summer of 1887, Colorow led a group of Uncompahgre and White River Utes on a hunt in western Colorado where they came into conflict with the game wardens of the area who accused them of poaching game. The local sheriff had repprts of the Utes stealing horses. Armed with warrants and a posse, Sheriff Kendall of Garfield County, Colorado, invaded one of the hunting party's camps Instead of serving the warrants, Kendall and his men began seizing the alarmed people. When the Utes resisted, the posse members |