The Portuguese Houses Archaeology Program

On Sunday, March 10, The Hoofprints of the Past Museum in Kaycee hosted a program by Archaeologist Cody Newton, who talked about the artifacts they found at the site of the Portuguese Houses. Newton lived in Kaycee at one time and is interested in the history of the area.

In 1834 a band of trappers and traders led by Antonio Montero from Portugal built a trading post East of Kaycee. It became known as the “Portuguese Fort.” It was the third trading post to be established in Wyoming. Predated only by Fort Bonneville near Daniel, Wyoming, in 1832, and Fort William (Fort Laramie) near Torrington, established a few months earlier in 1834.

Newton talked about his interest in the fur trade, and

He talked about the fact that trade had existed among the Native Americans for centuries. When the Europeans came west, the major trading posts were placed in the areas where the Native Americans wanted to trade, like Bent’s Fort in Colorado, along the North Platte River. Even Fort Laramie was started as a trading post in a response to the Lakota moving west.

By the late 1830’s, it was the waning of the beaver fur trade, but the trade was brisk in buffalo robes with the Indian tribes. The area around Kaycee was in one of the best bison ranges and hunting grounds.

The site of the old fort is on private land, and for many years the former landowner did not want the site disturbed, but when a new owner purchased the land, he was agreeable to letting the archaeologist in to work at the site. Newton had a slide show with several of the items that were found at the site, including robe rivets.

He talked about tree ring data that helped to determine the stream flow during the 1830s. He said at that time the Powder River was flowing really good. Because of that, the Powder River may have been more navigable than it would be today.

He talked about why the trappers may have built boats, if they had the river nearby.

The Portuguese Houses is a unique site, and what artifacts have been found from the area have been donated to the Hoofprints of the Past museum. Artifacts include everything from an old sword, beads, rivets, clay pipes and other items.

A crowd of around 100 people attended the talk, held in the Harold Jarrard Park Building in Kaycee.

The Hoofprints of the Past Museum located at 344 Nolan Avenue in Kaycee and is open from May 15 through October 31.