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| Photos by Stew Magnuson |
North
of Scott City, Kansas, on Highway 83, there is a stretch of land south of the
Smoky Hill River Valley that appears to be mostly flat farm fields, seemingly
devoid of geological features.
But
just to the west, five miles out of eyeshot is a beautiful valley where the
1,280-acre Lake Scott State Park, is a literal oasis in this otherwise dry
land.
And
in this state park are the Pueblo El Quartelejo ruins.
When
I’ve shown pictures of the ruins to audiences outside of Kansas during my Last
American Highway presentations, many are surprised.
Pueblo
Indian ruins? In Kansas?
It
turns out that a small tribe of Pueblos first came to this spot from their
traditional homelands to the west at about 1640 to escape harsh Spanish
colonial rule. Spanish soldiers later forced them back. Another group came in
the later part of the century, and were also turned back. The foundations of a
seven-room adobe home is the only structure that can be seen today.
Along
with the Pueblos, the Plains Apaches also took shelter in the valley to take
advantage of its springs and abundant game. One would think the valley was
occupied on and off for thousands of years by peoples whose names are now
forgotten.
There
is now an effort underway to build an enclosed interpretive center over the
Pueblo.
The
ultimate goal is to bring back all the artifacts from the site that are now
scattered around the country.
“We
don’t have a single shard here, and this is our heritage,” Jerry Thomas, who is
leading the committee that is setting out to build the new enclosure, said in a
phone interview.
Thomas,
a well-known artist who specializes in Western themes, is one of Scott City’s
most famous sons. In town, he spearheaded the effort to build the El Quartelejo
Museum and Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection building. He more recently helped raise funds to build
an interpretive kiosk for the Smokey Hill River Valley on Highway 83.
As
for the Pueblo, there were several digs on the site over the years — the first
in 1898 conducted by a University of Kansas professor. The university and other
institutions now house the artifacts including the Smithsonian, the Kansas
State Historical Society and the University of Northern Illinois.
The
Scott State Park and Historical Committee expects to raise $1 million through
private donations to fund the center.
On
Oct. 19, Thomas was joined by Gov. Sam Brownback, state and local officials, park
rangers and a member of the Taos Pueblo tribe for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to kick off the effort, according
to the Garden City Times.
C. A. Tsosie, a
Tiwa-speaking tribal elder, traveled to the ceremony and gave
his blessing for the endeavor. The site will be “a sanctuary for all of
America,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.
When
the enclosure is built, it is hoped that the institutions that now have the
collections will return or loan items to be displayed there, Thomas said.
The
digs uncovered items from the Taos Pueblos, Apaches, nearby tribes such as the
Wichitas and European trade items suggesting that this was a popular spot for
plains nations to meet and trade. Other structures were found hundreds of yards
away from the seven-room Pueblo. The stones that make up the foundation seen
today were uncovered then later reburied by the archaeologists. In 1970, they
were dug up and placed back to where records taken by the Kansas University
professor indicated that they had been found.
The
seven-room pueblo probably didn’t have any windows or doors and occupants exited
and entered through a ladder at the top of the roof. It was undoubtedly cool in
the summer and warm in the winter. It is believed that the original structure
was destroyed by fire.
Eventually,
the last Native occupants of the valley, the Plains Apaches, were pushed south
by their main rival, the Comanches.
Decades
later, the Northern Cheyenne passed through here during their dramatic escape
from Indian Territory in 1879. The last battle between the Northern Cheyenne
and the U.S. Army in Kansas took place near here, at the Battle of Punished
Woman’s Fork.
Thomas
said there will have to be a final archaeological investigation to make sure
that the new building doesn’t damage or destroy items that the other digs
missed. That will hopefully take place in the spring. Thomas hopes the doors
open to the new facility in about two years.
It
is certain to be a must-stop for those traveling on Highway 83.
Meanwhile,
visitors to the area can stop and see the ruins at the park, or learn more at
the El Quartelejo Museum/Jerry Thomas Gallery & Collection in Scott City.
The
park entrance is three miles west of U.S. 83 on K-95. There is a $6 per vehicle
fee for daily visitors.
El Quartelejo Museum/Jerry Thomas Gallery & Collection is open 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. Monday through Sunday in the summer season and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Labor Day
to Memorial Day. It’s about a half mile west of the intersection of Highway 83
(main Street) and K-96 in Scott City. Free but donations are appreciated.
Stew Magnuson is the author of The Last American Highway: A Journey Through Time Down U.S. Route 83: The Dakotas, and The Last American Highway: Nebraska Kansas Oklahoma edition.Both are available online or in museums, bookstores and gift shops on Hwy 83, including the El Quartelejo
Museum and Jerry Thomas Gallery and Collection in Scott City and the Buffalo Bil Interpretive Center in Oakley, KS.
To join the
Fans of U.S. Route 83 group on Facebook, CLICK
HERE. And check out the U.S. Route 83 Travel page at www.usroute83.com. Contact Stew Magnuson at stewmag (a) yahoo.com
