Bent's New Fort connects the continuing history of southeastern Colorado, from the development of the Santa Fe Trail and the occupation of Bent's Old Fort to the construction of Fort Wise and the breakdown of human relationships after the Sand Creek massacre in 1864. The site served two distinct functions in two different decades. From 1853 to 1860, it functioned economically as a trading post similar to Bent's Old Fort, while freighting for the U.S. military added another economic role. In the early 1850s, the military built forts in New Mexico and southern Colorado to protect traders, settlers, and miners. Archaeological findings show that the original Bent's New Fort had 15 rooms, and the absence of rooms in the southwestern area may have been intentional to allow Santa Fe traffic such as wagons, stagecoaches, and horses to enter. When William Bent leased the fort to the army during the construction of Fort Wise in 1860, a drawing documented Bent's original fort along with military additions including a guard room and an Indian agency. Archaeological survey and mapping of the site matched the original military map, and despite extensive collecting and looting, the studies confirmed Bent's New Fort as a vital link in the continuing story of southeastern Colorado and the Santa Fe Trail.