A Pioneer Lost His Land

Charles Autobees’ homestead didn’t fit the rules.

Charles Autobees was a mountain man and trapper, who plied that trade starting at age 16. He worked with some of the great names of the time—Jim Bridger, James Beckwourth, William Ben, Kit Carson and more. In 1853, he built a home in Colorado. He and his wife had to fight off Ute Indians on more than one occasion. But he lost a legal battle—it was found that his ranch, which he’d lived on for more than 20 years, didn’t qualify under U.S. Homestead rules. He lost the property and lived out his life in poverty.