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Show The Intruders, 1550-1882 43 treaty was later used as the legal instrument to justify the United States intrusion onto all of the Ute domain. In 1851 the Taos Agency was opened. The Moache and Kapota People who most used the agency came to be called the "Taos Utes." Later they were called the "Cimarron Utes" when the agency was moved (1861) to that location in the Maxwell land grant. For several years, 1853-61, the New Mexico Utes were served by the very able and famed westerner Christopher "Kit" Carson. Agent Carson became an important influence on the People â€" involving them in the Navajo War (1863) and convincing them to sign land cessions (1868). Between 1851 and 1853, three towns (San Luis, San Pedro, and San Acacia) were founded by former Mexican citizens on a San Luis Valley land grant. These were the first permanent non-Ute settlements in the area. Fort Massachusetts was established north of them in 1852, the first United States military post in Colorado. (It was replaced by Fort Garland in 1858.) As usual the influx of settlers and domesticated livestock destroyed or pushed out the game animals and native plant life upon which the Ute People depended. Some People began to raid the settlements in what became known as the Ute War of 1854-55. Led by Tierra Blanca, the People were initially successful. They attacked Fort Pueblo on the Arkansas River and killed all of the inhabitants. Even Fort Massachusetts was threatened. However, six companies of United States troops were sent against them, and the People sued for peace.28 There were only a few settlers in Colorado in the 1850s; most were Hispanic people from New Mexico. The Army exploration reports had convinced Anglo-Americans that the area was unsuitable for settlement. Reservation control of the Indian inhabitants was not considered necessary. However, in 1858 gold was discovered near what became Denver City. Hordes of treasure seekers invaded central Colorado. The mines proved so valuable and the white population increased so rapidly, that, by 1861, the Territory of Colorado was organized. Hundreds of prospectors and miners moved into the San Luis Park area which was the center of the Taviwach hunting grounds. There were several skirmishes between the intruders and the People. The intruders began to push for relocation of all the |