Lancaster Lupton

Who was Lancaster Lupton?

Lancaster Platt Lupton was the son of William Lupton, Jr.. He attended West Point, graduating with the class of 1829. In 1835, Lieutenant Lupton was a member of Colonel Henry Dodge's United States Regiment of Dragoons when they passed through the South Platte Valley in what would become the state of Colorado. Lupton saw the potential for a successful trading post on the banks of the South Platte River. He resigned his commission and returned the next year to build Fort Lancaster.

Lupton took Tomas, the daughter of an Indian Chief, as his wife. They remained married until his death in 1885.

Fort Lancaster operated as a fur trading post until 1844, when a particularly harsh blizzard caused the fort to close and Lupton moved his family south to an area near modern day Pueblo, Colorado. Later, they moved to California during the 1849 Gold Rush. Lupton lived in California until his death in 1885.