The Tesoro Foundation Educational Outreach Program
A Fourth Grade Study of the Bent’s Fort Period (1830s-40s) of early Colorado History

The Tesoro Foundation is proud to announce the creation of an Educational Outreach Program, designed to engage Colorado students in the living history aspects of the Bent’s Fort (1830s-40s) historical period. The program currently offers an in-school or on-sight trunk show and half-day tours of The Fort in Morrison, Colorado.

Many cultures traded at Bent’s Old Fort, from the Cheyenne, Ute and Pawnee tribes to French, British and American fur trappers. As Bent’s Fort, (located in present day La Junta, Colorado) was on the border of Old Mexico, which was occupied by Spain until 1823, there were both Spanish and Mexican traders and businessmen. This “melting pot” of cultures is a large and important aspect of Colorado history.

Highlights of the Educational outreach program include a trunk show presented by historians Mike Guli and Sharon Moore of River Crossing, Inc. or other Tesoro Foundation interpreters. The trunk show includes replicas of Spanish, Native American, and Mountain Man dress for the students to try on, and the presentation includes storytelling and show-and-tell items. Trunk Show Item include: Girl’s Indian Leather Dress, Breech Cloth, Belt, Mountain Man Leather Shirt, Cotton Shirt, Leather Leggings, Leather Vaquero Jacket, Powderhorn, Ball Pouch with balls, Sugar Cone, Beaver Plew, Beaver Trap, examples of brain-tanned leather, & Flint and Steel Firestarting kit with pouch. New items will be added over time. The trunk was created using funds awarded to the Tesoro Foundation from the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District.

Schools participating in the trunk show program will also receive copies of the workbook, “Heading Southwest Along the Santa Fe Trail: An Activity Book for Children,” made possible through a grant from the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies at Brigham Young University. The workbook contains stories, maps, recipes, and other activities that reinforce the trunk show’s themes and the school’s curriculum. The trunk show presentation can be presented in your classroom or auditorium, or at The Fort in conjunction with a historical tour.

The Foundation is also offering half-day field trips to The Fort, the first replica of Bent’s Old Fort (built in 1963), just south of Morrison, Colorado. The field trip includes a walk-through tour with a historical interpreter in authentic attire. The tour can include a film on Bent’s Fort. A lunch featuring a campfire cooking demonstration and buffalo stew, pumpkin walnut muffins and lemonade, or a buffalo burger buffet is available. Please call for pricing information.

This program teaches students the history of early day Colorado, economics, and how this multi-cultural community succeeded through constructive problem solving, communications and trading in the 19th century. This program can involve the math and economics department, arts & crafts, music, and culinary arts, depending on the needs of the school.

The Tesoro Foundation’s goal with the educational outreach program is to reach out to students, and by extension, the school administrators and community to educate them about the rich culture of the Early West and their importance to the history of Colorado. In so doing, we hope to increase knowledge and respect for all peoples.

The Tesoro Foundation’s Educational Outreach Programs was created with the guidance of an educational outreach steering committee. The committee is composed of leading educators and advisors, including an elementary school principal, historical clothing experts, Dr. Patricia Limerick of the Center for the American West, Dr. Tom Noel of the University of Colorado, and Jan Jacobs, former Master Teacher with the Denver Art Museum’s American Indian Collection.

Comments from teachers who's schools have participated in the Tesoro Educational Outreach Program:

"We had just finished studying the mountain men/fur trappers and Bent's Fort. The tour was a perfect way for the students to "see" everything they have been reading about! It was a great day. We enjoyed our day at The Fort!"-Marshdale Elementary, Evergreen, CO

"The tour and activities were wonderful! The staff was very friendly and made us feel welcome. The kids loved the food!"--Marshdale Elementary, Evergreen, CO

"All the topics fit well into our study of mountain men & early Colorado history!"-Wilmot Elementary, Evergreen, CO

"(The trunk show was) Excellent......good connections!"--Wilmot Elementary, Evergreen, CO

"Thanks for the wonderful field trip. Our third graders loved learning about the Fort and related history of the pioneer days!"- St. Mary's Academy, Englewood, CO

"Thank you so much for supporting our Summer Reading Program kickoff. The children and their parents enjoyed the trunk show by Mike Guli and Sharon Moore. Mike and Sharon engaged their audience and helped them learn about the early settlers in Colorado."-Thornton Public Library, Thornton, CO

To book a program or to volunteer, contact Sarah Shirazi at 303-839-1671 or via email at tesoroinfo@tesorofoundation.org

Did you enjoy the Washtunkala stew and the Pumpkin Walnut Muffins during your eductional tour of The Fort? Find the recipes here.