8 6 4 , ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁de cade ▁before ▁Colorado ▁became ▁a ▁state ▁and ▁long ▁before ▁Ki owa ▁County ▁was ▁formed , ▁a ▁mass acre ▁of ▁Native ▁Americans , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁old ▁men , ▁women , ▁and ▁children , ▁occurred ▁on ▁Sand ▁Creek ▁that ▁initially ▁was ▁gre et ed ▁as ▁a ▁victory ▁in ▁the ▁Colorado ▁War ▁against ▁host ile ▁Indians ; ▁within ▁months , ▁Cong r essional ▁in qui ries ▁revealed ▁the ▁truth , ▁and ▁a ▁national ▁sc andal ▁er upt ed . ▁It ▁happened ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Ki owa ▁County , ▁and ▁is ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Sand ▁Creek ▁Mass acre . ▁ ▁Territ orial ▁Governor ▁John ▁Evans ▁eventually ▁lost ▁his ▁job ▁for ▁his ▁part ▁in ▁setting ▁up ▁the ▁incident , ▁and ▁Colonel ▁John ▁Ch iving ton , ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁forces , ▁was ▁cast ig ated ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Congress ▁and ▁the ▁sc andal ▁followed ▁him ▁for ▁the ▁rest ▁of ▁his ▁life . ▁Evans ▁would ▁go ▁on ▁to ▁make ▁significant ▁important ▁contributions ▁to ▁the ▁early ▁Den ver ▁community ▁and ▁while ▁Ch iving ton ▁also ▁made ▁some , ▁his ▁reputation ▁remained ▁t aint ed ▁while ▁Evans ▁is ▁still ▁hon ored ▁today . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁final ▁land ▁ac quis itions ▁by ▁the ▁National ▁Park ▁Service ▁allowed ▁official ▁design ation ▁of ▁the ▁Sand ▁Creek ▁Mass acre ▁National ▁Historic ▁Site , ▁but ▁no ▁park ▁facilities ▁have ▁yet ▁been ▁ere cted . ▁Only ▁a ▁pla que ▁in ▁the ▁ground ▁acknowled ges ▁the ▁site