A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the Fort Chambers / Poor Farm project’s May 2026 engagement window! The feedback received is being reviewed by project staff and our Tribal Representatives to inform refinements to the proposed interpretive experience. Read on for more information and stay tuned for another engagement window this Fall!

Project Overview

The Fort Chambers / Poor Farm property was acquired in 2018 to fulfill open space purposes in the city charter and research illuminated the site’s many complicated histories. This property has direct connections to the Sand Creek Massacre, an attack described by the Cheyenne and Arapaho as “the deadliest day in Colorado’s history, [which] changed the Cheyenne and Arapaho people forever” (“The Sand Creek Massacre – The Betrayal That Changed Cheyenne and Arapaho People Forever”, History Colorado, 2022).

Since 2022, the City of Boulder has collaborated with Representatives from the Northern Arapaho, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho and Cheyenne Tribes to develop a vision for the site’s future. The resulting vision of “Heal the land; Heal the people” guides how the city cares for the Fort Chambers / Poor Farm property and informs plans for ecological restoration, agricultural preservation, and future visitor use on site.

Project staff are currently developing plans for an interpretive experience on site which will support learning, reflection, healing, and gathering with stories and educational installations determined through Tribal collaboration and public feedback.

To learn more about the City of Boulder’s connection to the Sand Creek Massacre, please visit the Fort Chambers and the Sand Creek Massacre webpage to read a broad timeline of colonization in the Boulder Valley.

To learn about the site’s historical, ecological, and agricultural features, explore the Fort Chambers / Poor Farm Story Map.

Tribal Collaboration

Given the land’s connection to the Sand Creek Massacre, the City of Boulder Open Space and Mountain Parks staff are prioritizing receiving guidance on this project from Tribal Representatives from the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes, the Northern Arapaho Tribe, and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. The City of Boulder recognizes that Tribal Nations are sovereign governmental entities and conducts government-to-government consultations with the Representatives appointed by elected leaders to speak for their Tribal Nations.

Throughout this project, the city has collaborated with Arapaho and Cheyenne Tribal Representatives to:

  • Learn the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes’, the Northern Arapaho Tribe’s, and the Northern Cheyenne Tribe's desired long-term relationship with the land.
  • Understand how best to interpret the land's history and its connection to the Sand Creek Massacre to accurately describe Boulder residents’ role in the massacre. 
  • Identify opportunities to bring awareness to the intergenerational trauma that the Arapaho and Cheyenne Nations have endured from both the colonization of Indigenous lands in the Boulder Valley and the Sand Creek Massacre.

Concept Plan

In July 2022, OSMP staff began collaborating with Arapaho and Cheyenne Representatives to understand their desired long-term relationship with the site. The Open Space Board of Trustees provided direction to implement the 2024 the concept plan, “Heal the land, Heal the people” which provides a foundation for how the city – with continuing guidance from Tribal Representatives – will steward the land where Fort Chambers likely stood.

The concept plan includes actions for ecological restoration, agricultural preservation, and a future interpretive trail and amenities to support visitors to the site. Recommendations are illustrated on the concept plan graphics PDF. More information can be found on the Concept Plan Webpage or the Fort Chambers / Poor Farm property’s Story Map (not recommended for hand-held devices).

Planned Interpretive Experience

Based on concept plan recommendations, the interpretive experience of visiting the Fort Chambers / Poor Farm site will share the history of the site and its connection to the Sand Creek Massacre. An interpretive trail (formerly referred to as the ‘Healing Trail’) is a key element of this concept plan, and will feature educational elements, indigenous plantings, and spaces for learning, reflection, and healing.

Current design efforts focus on developing the experience along the planned interpretive trail. Staff have been collaborating with Arapaho and Cheyenne Tribal Representatives and gaining input from community members to learn what is desired for the experience and how information will be represented. Draft designs for the interpretive experience were shared in May 2026 and are available to view in the full Interpretive Framework PDF.

Next Steps

The project team is focused on refining the design of the interpretive trail.

Next Engagement Opportunity

After continued collaboration with our Tribal Representatives to develop a refined design, Engagement Window 5 - anticipated to take place in late Fall 2026 - will focus around hearing community input on a refined interpretive design for the site. To receive the latest updates and hear about new engagement opportunities, sign up for our ‘Field Notes’ e-newsletter!

Most Recent Engagement Opportunity

The city would like to thank the community for participating in Engagement Window 4 during May 2026, in which input was received on the interpretive experience’s draft designs! This input will be discussed with our Tribal partners before the design for the site is refined further. Please view the Engagement Window 4 Questionnaire Results Summary PDF for an analysis of feedback received or the Engagement Window 4 Input Compendium PDF to view all written feedback received in its entirety.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Concept Plan envisions a walking trail with elements and areas to support learning, reflection, healing, and gathering. Interpretation is more than just presenting facts – an immersive experience can inspire reflection and a sense of connection to culture, nature, and belonging. Common elements of interpretive experiences include signage, art, audio, and similar educational installations, as well as sitting areas and quiet spots for reflection and connection.

The ‘Healing Trail’ terminology was part of the Concept Plan that was developed in collaboration with Tribal Representatives. The goal for the site is to move towards community understanding and healing with the vision of ‘Heal the Land, Heal the People’, and so ‘Healing Trail’ became the working term for the planned interpretive trail. We recognize that this site is also painful for many individuals and may not support healing for everyone; based on this understanding, we have chosen to move away from the ‘Healing Trail’ terminology. Engagement participants have provided feedback on potential name suggestions for the planned interpretive trail and trailhead, and official names will be determined as this design process continues.

This project is called the “Fort Chambers / Poor Farm” project based on the history of the site and its broad recognition throughout the community. The new trail and trailhead name will be determined through this design process and will then be used to reference the site in the future.

Another interesting feature of this property is the Queen Anne Victorian style house, which is registered in the National Register of Historic Places and served as Boulder County’s ‘poor farm’ between 1902-1918. The county used the ‘poor farm’ to help feed, house, and care for older and sick community members, along with people experiencing physical and mental disabilities. The property name currently uses this term to acknowledge the history of the site and for its recognition within the community; a new trail and trailhead name are being determined and will then be used to reference the site in the future. To learn more about the house and its use as the Boulder County Poor Farm, visit the Fort Chambers / Poor Farm Story Map.

The stone marker that sat on the edge of the Fort Chambers / Poor Farm property was removed with support from Arapaho and Cheyenne Nation Tribal Representatives and government officials in 2023. It inaccurately states that Fort Chambers was used in an “Indian Uprising” in 1864, a false claim of coordinated Indigenous violence. The city acknowledges that Arapaho and Cheyenne leaders sought peace in the Fall of 1864 and Arapaho and Cheyenne Peoples camped at Sand Creek had been promised the protection of the U.S. Army. The stone marker is currently in storage and there is potential to place it on the site and re-interpret as part of the interpretive experience.

As part of the initial planning process, OSMP worked with Tribal Nations to identify their desired long-term relationship with the Fort Chambers / Poor Farm property. The Tribes were not interested in owning the property but wanted to collaborate with OSMP staff on the development of interpretive materials and future stewardship, recognizing the site’s ability to support learning, healing, and praying.

Want to Lean More?

While the Fort Chambers / Poor Farm property is currently closed to the public, you can explore the many historical, ecological, and agricultural features of the site through the Fort Chambers / Poor Farm Story Map!

Visit the Story Map to learn more about:

  • The history of Fort Chambers, Company D, and the historic stone marker that was originally installed on the property.
  • The Queen Anne Victorian home located on the property, which served as Boulder County’s ‘poor farm’ between 1902 and 1918. The house and adjacent farmstead are on the National Register of Historic Places. 
  • The property’s ecological values. Today, this land provides habitat for more than 100 wildlife species and 90 plant species, including many plants with traditional Indigenous uses. It also has 48 acres of wetlands and open water which will undergo restoration as part of a separate OSMP project.
  • The land’s agricultural uses and historic agricultural structures, which continue to serve OSMP agricultural tenants today.

A general timeline about the colonization of Indigenous lands in Boulder Valley and our city’s direct connections to the Sand Creek Massacre is available on this webpage. Community members can go beyond our broad overview and take time to learn more about the Sand Creek Massacre by:

Read the City of Boulder Staff Land Acknowledgment, which was developed as part of the 2016 Indigenous Peoples Day Resolution with guidance from American Indian Tribal Nations.

Learn about the City of Boulder’s commitment to consultation with Colorado’s sixteen different American Indian Tribal Nations, including the Hinono’eiteen (Arapaho) and Tsétsėhéstȧhese (Cheyenne). Explore related projects and policies completed in collaboration with these Tribal Nations on the Tribal Consultation webpage.

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