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Show 120 Years of Loss, Years of Adjustment, 1882-1933 built across both reservations west from White River. Miners looked forward to this improved transportation, but it was not built.14 However, in 1888 Congress removed a triangular "strip" of about seven thousand acres from the eastern end of the Uintah Reservation in which were located several gilsonite claims. The People voted their consent to this sale at $20 per acre of mineral land.15 "The Strip" became a lawless area of saloons, bordellos, and gambling houses, causing many problems for both Indian agents and army officers. Opening of the Uncompahgre Reservation, 1898 In 1888 gilsonite was also discovered on the Uncompahgre Reservation. Cowboys, merchants, and farmers from the Vernal area located several claims on the land. Beginning in 1890 bills were introduced in Congress to "change the boundary of the Uncompahgre Reservation" to remove this area from Ute control. President Benjamin Harrison vetoed one bill 17 June 1890 on the grounds that it would serve only private commercial (gilsonite) interests rather than the general public. He also suspected that it might "create serious trouble" among the Ute People.16 However, bills continued to be presented, most with the approval of the Indian Office. The rationale used was that the Uncompahgre Reservation was: . . . not intended to be set apart as a permanent reservation for the Uncompahgres, but simply for the purpose of withholding from white settlement or occupation, or other appropriation, a sufficient quantity of land to make allotments to said Indians, as provided in the . . . Ute agreement of 1880, and these lands not having been ceded to them, they are not entitled to any pay for such as are sought to be segregated. . . .'7 Allotment The system by which the land was to be taken from the People was allotment. It had been written in as a part of the Agreement of 1880. It provided for the allotment of tribally held lands to individual People. The reservation land that was left over was to be |
