by Kenneth Jessen In its younger days, Colorado had two types of forts. The earliest ones were developed during the fur trade era up until the mid-1800s. Both Native Americans and fur trappers would bring in pelts to trade for any number of items. As settlers arrived and stage routes were established, regional Indian tribes started to resent having their land taken away piece by piece. Some Natives attacked settlements, raided stage stations and disrupted travel over these established routes. The second type of fort was established by the government, namely military forts. In 1803, the United States negotiated with ...