Los Pinos Indian Agency (Colorado)

Indian Tribes Associated With This Agency
Tabaquache or Uncompahgre Ute

History
The Conejos Agency was established in 1860 for the Tabaquache Ute Indians living north of the Utah Agency area in New Mexico. In 1869, the agency moved from Conejos to a site on Los Pinos Creek on the Ute Reservation in southern Colorado, and the name was changed to the Los Pinos Agency. It was also sometimes called Lower or Southern Ute Agency, but should not be confused with the later Southern Ute Agency of southwestern Colorado.

In 1875, the agency was moved to the Uncompahgre Valley, but the name Los Pinos Agency was retained.

In 1881, the Tabaquache (or Uncompahgre) Utes moved to a reservation on the Green River in Utah, next to the Uintah Reservation and the agency's name was changed to the Ouray Agency. In 1886, the Uintah Agency and the Ouray Agency were consolidated.

Agents and Appointment Date
Lt. Calvin T. Speer 1869, Capt. William H. Merrill 1869,Jebez Nelson Trask 1871, Charles Adams 1872, Henry F. Bond 1874, Willard D. Wheeler 1876, Joseph B. Abbott 1877, Leverett M. Kelley 1878, Wilson M. Stanley 1879, George Sherman 1880, and William H. Berry

Records
Agencies and subagencies were created as administrative offices of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its predecessors. Their purpose was (and is) to manage Indian affairs with the tribes, to enforce policies, and to assist in maintaining the peace. The names and location of these agencies may have changed, but their purpose remained basically the same. Many of the records of genealogical value (for the tribe and tribal members) were created by and maintained by the agencies.