Conclusion An attempt has been made to provide an example of a regional and temporal approach utilized to understand the complex historic occupation of a portion of the Purgatoire River valley. The approach involves a temporal framework with major subperiods of historic occupation of the southeastern Colorado initially developed in conjunction with archaeological investigations completed on the Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site and represents a microcosm of the settlement of southeastern Colorado. These subperiods are organized in a series of stages for the years 1860–1890, 1891–1915, and 1916–1930, and to a lesser extent, an earlier occupation during the years 1786–1860. It is based on a model of settlement that emphasizes differences in economic practices between Hispanics and Anglo-Americans, the two principal Euro-American ethnic groups present in the region. Archaeological expectations for sites in the southeastern Colorado are drawn from the model for the present study. Research questions relating to subsistence, investment in facilities, and settlement were then developed on the basis of these expectations. The impetus for this survey project is the fact that, in the eyes of preservation professionals including those at Colorado Preservation, Inc. and the National Trust for Historic Places, this area is one of the state’s, and indeed the nation’s, most endangered places. The present survey was conducted almost entirely on private lands that, until now, have not been available to archaeological and architectural cultural resource professionals. However, they have also not been subjected to the inevitable wear and tear of public access and military training exercises, so the potential for a rich data set is strong. In almost all cases, ranchers have done an excellent job of preserving the cultural resources on their lands. Though some avocational collecting has occurred, ranchers allowed the archaeologists to assess their collections. The public nature of state and federal lands, where the majority of archaeological research has occurred in this area, has lead inevitably to diminished site integrity, impacted by day hikers or military maneuvers. The integrity of the majority of the sites on the private ranch lands are in very good shape, and therefore, with the help of the landowners, we were in a position to record sites on these lands that are disappearing or damaged in other contexts. We hope that the relationship that was built with the landowners of southeastern Colorado will be productive in the longer run as well, for both cultural resource professionals and for the ranchers. Some of the families in this area have been working on the land for generations, and like many Native American groups, they feel a strong sense of heritage there. The professional codes of ethics of virtually all archaeological professional organizations mandate that we respect the values and heritage of the descendants of the occupants of the sites we record. In this case, those groups include several Native American groups, but also the descendants of Hispanic, Anglo-American, European-American, and African-American settlers documented for this area. Given the threats to the area that have lead to its designation as endangered place we feel one of the strongest cases for protection can be made for these areas based on designation as heritage landscapes or traditional cultural properties. Such designations can be win-win for both preservationists and landowners. In such cases, the law provides that sites cannot be mitigated (excavated entirely to make way for development or alternative use), nor can descendant groups be denied access to them. At the same time, descendants living there are free to continue to modify structures or make other changes they need to in order to provide for themselves and their families, and to continue their way of life. These areas can be simultaneously designated historic landscapes and also contemporary working landscapes. We hope that this survey project lays the groundwork for both preservationists and ranchers to save both landscapes and lifeways.
Research Questions and Analysis Cultural Resources Survey of the Purgatoire River Region
2007).
Architecture With very limited architectural focused survey work previously conducted within the project area (and none on the private ranch lands that composed the majority of the survey area), the primary focus of the architectural survey at the start of the project was simply to see what was out there. Instead of completing a research design at the beginning of the project, questions were identified during the reconnaissance-level survey, which were then further investigated during the intensivelevel survey. The reconnaissance-level survey included sites on private lands as well as a windshield survey along regional highways and within the communities of Kim, Branson, Hoehne, and Timpas. Of the 376 sites surveyed for architecture, 321 involved entering private lands with landowner permission while 55 sites were surveyed from the road. The vast majority of the sites surveyed were homestead complexes, so the history of homesteading in the region was the focus of the architectural research questions. Most of the other resources surveyed are also related to the homesteading movement including transportation networks used by the homesteaders, schools attended by the children of homesteaders, and commercial businesses serving homesteaders. The following questions developed during the course of the project. All need further exploration. They are presented as
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