Governor Bent Home and Museum, NM
Governor Bent House and Museum was the residence of New Mexico's first American governor, Charles Bent. Bent by trade was a trader, trapper and mountain man. In addition, he owned a number of wagon trains on the Santa Fe Trail and trading posts in Santa Fe and Taos. He provided traders and mountain men with supplies and bought their furs and buffalo hides. He, his brother William, and Ceran St. Vrain built Bent's Fort in Colorado, famous throughout the West as a trading center for the Indians and early mountain men.
He was appointed Governor of New Mexico in 1834 when it became American territory during the Mexican War. In January of 1847, Governor Bent along with several other colleagues (brother-in-law Pablo Jaramillo, acting Taos sheriff Stephen Lee, Judge Cornelio Vigil, attorney J.W. Leal, and Narciso Beaubien) were killed by a group of Hispanic and Taos Indian rebels under the leadership of Pablo Montoya (Hispano) and Tomás Romero (Taos Puebloan). Hence the Taos Revolt began and skirmishes continued until July 1847 when the revolt was finally ended by U.S. military forces.
Privately owned, the museum is more of a collection of various Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo artifacts throughout the 19th and 20th centuries than it is about the life of Governor Charles Bent. There is one small room which has stories about Charles Bent and artifacts utilized by the Bent family. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Governor Bent Home and Museum
117 Bent Street
Taos, NM 87571
(505) 758-2376
⇩ Charles Bent Bio (NewMexicoHistory.org, PDF 129 KB)
He was appointed Governor of New Mexico in 1834 when it became American territory during the Mexican War. In January of 1847, Governor Bent along with several other colleagues (brother-in-law Pablo Jaramillo, acting Taos sheriff Stephen Lee, Judge Cornelio Vigil, attorney J.W. Leal, and Narciso Beaubien) were killed by a group of Hispanic and Taos Indian rebels under the leadership of Pablo Montoya (Hispano) and Tomás Romero (Taos Puebloan). Hence the Taos Revolt began and skirmishes continued until July 1847 when the revolt was finally ended by U.S. military forces.
Privately owned, the museum is more of a collection of various Native American, Hispanic, and Anglo artifacts throughout the 19th and 20th centuries than it is about the life of Governor Charles Bent. There is one small room which has stories about Charles Bent and artifacts utilized by the Bent family. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Additional Information
117 Bent Street
Taos, NM 87571
(505) 758-2376
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