BECAUSE YOU ASKED
Q: Where is Beecher Island, and what is it all about?
A: Beecher Island is a former battleground that was on a sandbar in the Arikaree River southeast of Wray in Yuma County.
Cheyenne Dog Soldiers, under the leadership of Chief Roman Nose, fought scouts of the U.S. Cavalry there Sept. 17-26, 1868. The battle ended when additional cavalry units arrived from Fort Wallace. Chief Roman Nose and Lt. Frederick H. Beecher died during the battle. The site was named for the lieutenant.
In 1935 the island flooded, destroying a memorial. Although the island is no longer there, a memorial was later reconstructed near the site. Beecher Island Battleground Memorial was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The annual Beecher Island reunion, hosted by the Beecher Island Memorial Association, is held the third weekend of September.
Sources: Scott Chartier, Wray historian; “Colorado Place Names” by William Bright; “1001 Colorado Place Names” by Maxine Benson; Colorado Office of Archaeology and Historic Preservation; Colorado State Archives; National Register of Historic Places
– Compiled by Bonnie Gilbert
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