Survey of the Dawson Ranch Buildings Complex (5KW123) and the Remains of the Thompson-Bohart Ranch/Dawson Family Line Camp, Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, Kiowa County, Colorado (Revised Report)

Ainlay-Conley, Jacqui

In preparation for opening the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site to the general public, the National Park Service (NPS) is engaged in preliminary planning for an interim facility to be located at the former William F. and Jredia Dawson Ranch Building Complex. The Complex is within The Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site (SAND), which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the nomination, the William and Jredia Dawson residence was listed as a noncontributing resource in the context of the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre. The purpose of the Dawson Ranch Building Complex Survey was'to obtain a Determination of Eligibility (DOE) for the former ranch complex within the historic context of ranching in southeastern Colorado. The residence was listed in the SAND National Register nomination as having three buildings, three structures and one site. The buildings included a house, a metal building, and a barn. The description of the residence in the nomination failed to note an additional building - a motel court cabin. The structures included an unpaved air landing strip, a boxcar used for storage, and a corral. The site was believed to be ruins from a line camp. The original methodology of this project called for a reconnaissance-level survey of the historic archeological remains of the line camp on the Dawson Ranch property. Within the National Register nomination for the Sand Creek Massacre site, this resource was described as the remains of a residence that served as a line camp for the SS/Holly Ranch. Established in 1871, the Holly Ranch operated on open range cattle fields over much of southeastern Colorado, including the Sand Creek Massacre site. At one time, William F. Dawson's paternal grandparents lived in the line camp residence. In the National Register nomination the line camp was listed as a noncontributing resource in the context of the 1864 Sand Creek Massacre. The nomination also noted that the Dawson Ranch Building Complex and line camp should be further evaluated within the context of ranching in southeastern Colorado. This survey project resulted in the DOE documentation of four buildings and three structures of the Dawson Ranch Building Complex. None of the buildings or structures are eligible for listing on either the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) or the State Register of Historic Properties. At this time the newly formed Kiowa County Historic Preservation Commission does not designate local landmarks.

Survey of the Dawson Ranch Buildings Complex (5KW123) and the Remains of the Thompson-Bohart Ranch/Dawson Family Line Camp, Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site, Kiowa County, Colorado (Revised Report)

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