Where did the Meeker Massacre take place?
Table of Contents
Colorado
Meeker Massacre
Date | September 29–October 5, 1879 |
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Location | White River and Milk Creek, Colorado40.03°N 107.99°WCoordinates:40.03°N 107.99°W |
Who won the Meeker Massacre?

Meeker’s wife, daughter, and another girl were held as captives for 23 days. In the meantime, the Ute attacked the approaching troops from Fort Steele in what is known as the Battle of Milk Creek, Colorado. In this skirmish, the Ute were defeated, ending the uprising.
How did Meeker CO get its name?
Named for Nathan Meeker, the Indian Agent who was killed by Utes in an uprising at the White River Indian Agency in the fall of 1879, the town of Meeker was established soon after his death as a group of Army buildings.
Who won the White River War?
United States
White River War

Date | 1879 |
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Location | White River, Colorado |
Result | United States victory |
How many died in the Meeker Massacre?
The Meeker Incident, 1879 Nathan Meeker and his eight male employees were killed during the fighting, and his wife and daughter were taken hostage.
What is Meeker Colorado known for?
Meeker is the location of the Meeker Massacre, the Battle of Milk Creek, the start of the Ute War, and the catalyst for the Colorado Ute Removal Act.
Is Meeker Co a good place to live?
Meeker is a great place to live and do business! Nestled in the White River Valley at the doorstep to the Flat Tops Wilderness and White River National Forest, Meeker Colorado is a rural town off the beaten path.
What is Meeker Co known for?
Meeker is the location of the Meeker Massacre, the Battle of Milk Creek, the start of the Ute War, and the catalyst for the Colorado Ute Removal Act. Over 10,000 years ago nomadic people inhabited this fertile valley sustaining themselves by chasing wild game and foraging for edible vegetation.
Where was the battle of Milk Creek?
Battle Creek
Battle of Milk Creek/Locations
The Battle of Milk Creek was the major military engagement during the Meeker Incident, a Ute revolt in northwest Colorado in September 1879. It began on September 29, when Utes opened fire from the heights above Milk Creek on an advancing column of US cavalry led by Major Thomas Thornburgh.
What was the Meeker Massacre and the White River War?
Meeker grave at lower left; W.H. Post grave at lower right Meeker Massacre and the White River War, Ute War, or the Ute Campaign, were conflicts that began when the Utes attacked an Indian agency on September 29, 1879, killing the Indian agent Nathan Meeker and his 10 male employees and then took women and children as hostages.
How did the town of Meeker get its name?
The town is named for Nathan Meeker, the United States Indian Agent who was killed along with 11 other U.S. citizens by White River Ute Indians in the 1879 Meeker Massacre. The site of the massacre, the former White River Indian Agency, is located along State Highway 64 in the White River valley east of town and is marked by a prominent sign.
Where is the Meeker incident today?
Today, informative signage is posted at the site of the incident, along the White River near the town of Meeker. The Meeker Incident (September 29–October 5, 1879) was a Ute uprising at the White River Indian Agency on the Ute Reservation in present-day Rio Blanco County.
What is the population of Meeker Colorado?
The Town of Meeker is a Statutory Town that is the county seat and the most populous town of Rio Blanco County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 2,242 at the U.S. Census 2000. The town is largely an agricultural community, located in the wide fertile valley of the White River in northwestern Colorado.