by North Forty News Staff | NorthFortyNews.com
Federal approval changes names of two Larimer County sites tied to Sand Creek Massacre history
The well-known mountain community of Pingree Park west of Fort Collins will officially become Soule Park under a newly approved federal name change.
The U.S. Board on Geographic Names approved a proposal to rename both Pingree Park and Pingree Hill in Larimer County, according to a May 18 announcement from the No Pingree Task Force, a Fort Collins-based citizen group that submitted the proposal in 2023.
Under the decision, Pingree Park will become Soule Park and Pingree Hill will become Soule Hill. The changes were approved during a March 12, 2026, meeting of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names and will now appear in the Geographic Names Information System and on future federal map updates.
Supporters of the change said the decision reflects growing efforts to address historical place names connected to the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864 and the treatment of Native American communities in Colorado history.
According to the task force, George Washington Pingree served as a scout under Colonel John M. Chivington during the Sand Creek Massacre, where an estimated 230 Arapaho and Cheyenne people were killed. Task force members cited historical accounts describing Pingree’s participation in the attack and argued that public lands should not continue to honor his name.
The new name recognizes Captain Silas Soule, a Colorado officer who refused orders to participate in the massacre and later exposed the killings through letters and testimony that helped trigger federal investigations.
Task Force spokesperson John Gascoyne said the group believes the change better reflects Colorado values and historical accountability.
The proposal received support from local elected leaders, including Larimer County Commissioners Jody Shadduck-McNally, Kristin Stephens, and John Kefalas, as well as former Fort Collins Mayor Jeni Arndt.
Task force members also sought input from Arapaho and Cheyenne tribal leaders during the proposal process. Each year, representatives from the Cheyenne and Arapaho Nations participate in memorial runs from Sand Creek to Denver to honor those killed in the massacre and remember Captain Soule’s actions.
Additional information about the U.S. Board on Geographic Names is available through the U.S. Geological Survey Board on Geographic Names.
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Attribution: Information provided by the No Pingree Task Force