| OCR Text |
Show FHR-8-300A (11/78) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HERITAGE CONSERVATION AND RECREATION SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM CONTI NU ATION SHEET ITEM NUMBER 8 PAGE No doubt the controversy will not be resolved without new documentary evidence or careful archeological investigations of the two fort sites. There are as many possible explanations as there are researchers, but in the meantime the inscription offers some tantalizing clues to western historians and archeologists. 3. The Trail Many maps show that the branch of the Spanish Trail from Fort Uncompahgre to the Uinta Basin crossed the Tavaputs Plateau further east in Colorado. The inscription's location implies that at least one branch of the Spanish Trail came west into Grand Valley before turning north. It is unlikely that after years in the area Robidoux was breaking new trail. In any case, the inscription is important to any studies of historic trails and trade routes. 4. Preservation The Westwater Creek area is currently seeing a lot of energy development and increased human traffic. Already the inscription is pocked with bullet holes. A rubber-latex mold of the inscription was made for the Utah Westerners, a private amateur group, and donated to the Utah Museum of Natural History where it is now exhibited. The mold has been restored somewhat; the bullet holes have been removed. The Utah Westerners clearly saw the significance of the inscription and sought to preserve it. In the meanwhile, steps such as listing on the National Register should be taken to preserve the original Robidoux Inscription. |
