Written on the back of this postcard: “Ruins of a Indian trading post & fort near Platteville, Colo. I am on the motor.” As you can see, this chap found Fort Vasquez in a rather puny state.

After the fort was deeded to Weld County in 1934, the Platteville Community Club initiated a plan to rebuild it and make it into a museum. Thanks in part to an infusion of over $2800 from the Works Progress Administration, the fort was rebuilt. The result was not an exact replica of the original, due in part to the fact that little archaeological work was done before the reconstruction began. The walls were moved a few yards from the original location and some features of the rebuilt fort were not in the original. The new fort was dedicated in August of 1937 in front of a crowd of 2,000 people.

REFERENCE:

• “Fort Vasquez,” Colorado Encyclopedia at https://coloradoencyclopedia.org/article/fort-vasquez