Elbridge Gerry — pioneer, horse rancher, Indian trader — was ‘the savior of Colorado'

“The Savior of Colorado” was how Elbridge Gerry was described by his contemporaries during the summer of 1864. Yet, little is known about this early Coloradan and colorful frontier figure of Weld County. We know that he was a horse rancher and American Indian trader as of 1853 near the confluence of Crow Creek and the South Platte River, about 10 miles east of Greeley. He was also the grandson of a signer of the Declaration of Independence, Elbridge Gerry, for whom he was named. Prior to becoming the “first white settler of Weld County,” he worked as a mountain man for the American Fur Company toward the end of the fur trade era and at Bent's Fort. He wandered the Rockies trapping and trading until he settled near Fort Laramie and took a Sioux wife. He was renowned for his large Indian family and had amicable dealings with the Arapaho, Cheyenne and his Sioux relatives throughout his early career. Gerry lived in a world that was partly native and increasingly that of the presence of his new neighbors: pioneers, not unlike himself. As of April 1864, however, relationships with native tribes had drastically shifted. Between 1862 and 1864 the Cheyenne, Sioux and Arapaho united because of violations of the treaty to maintain their formal hunting grounds between the South Platte and the Arkansas rivers and began raiding outlying settlements. In the past, Gerry had successfully assisted the Colorado territorial government with Indian affairs by peddling goods to pacify the tribes. He was also familiar with them through his marriage and was regularly visited by trading parties who would trade for knives, blankets, ammunition and other goods. Late one evening, relatives of his wife appeared at the Gerry place, advising his family to flee, for there would be a war party 1,000 strong scouring the prairie...more