Thread by @505Nomad

Colonel Edwin V. Sumner established Fort Union several miles north of the junction of the two main branches of the Santa Fe Trail, on a tributary of the Mora river, in July, 1851. He chose the location for several reasons. 1) Sumner deemed Santa Fe as “morally degrading.”

There were a lot of bars and brothels, which provided too many tempting distractions for soldiers. 2) Use soldiers to construct a fort & to farm was less expensive than leasing buildings, contracting to vendors, or purchasing provisions.

#NewMexico #history #AmericanWest

3) Problems w/Comanche, Ute, and Jicarilla Apache along the southern route of the Santa Fe Trail jeopardized the primary supply line to the new territory. Troops could patrol & be more readily mobilized from the Plains than from the Sangre de Cristos.

#daytrip #roadtrip #travel