Fort Atkinson State Preserve facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fort Atkinson State Preserve |
|
|---|---|
Fort Atkinson's powder magazine
|
|
 Fort Atkinson State Preserve
Location in Iowa
|
|
| Location | Winneshiek, Iowa, United States |
| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Established | 1968 |
| Governing body | Iowa Department of Natural Resources |
| Website | Fort Atkinson State Preserve |
|
Fort Atkinson Historic District
|
|
| NRHP reference No. | 13000036 |
| Added to NRHP | February 27, 2013 |
Fort Atkinson State Preserve is a special place in Iowa, USA. It holds the remains of Fort Atkinson, an old U.S. Army frontier post. This fort was built to help keep peace between different Native American tribes. It also stopped white settlers from moving onto Native American lands. In February 2013, the fort was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is now known as the Fort Atkinson Historic District.
Contents
History of Fort Atkinson
The story of Fort Atkinson begins with a treaty in 1830. This agreement, called the 1830 Treaty of Prairie du Chien, created a special area. It was known as the Neutral Ground. This land was meant to be a buffer zone between tribes like the Sioux and the Sac and Fox Nations.
Why the Fort Was Built
Soon, the Neutral Ground was set aside for the Ho-Chunk (or Winnebago) tribe. They were moved there from Wisconsin. Fort Atkinson was built to help the Ho-Chunk stay on this land. It also protected them from other tribes. The fort stopped white traders and settlers from entering Native American territory. It also supported a U.S. government official. This official ran a school, a farm, and gave supplies to the Ho-Chunk people.
Building the Fort
A camp was started here on May 31, 1840. Captain Lynde and his soldiers from the 5th US Infantry set it up. They named it after Henry Atkinson. He was the officer in charge of moving the Ho-Chunk people. It took three years to build the fort. It was finished by the end of summer in 1842.
Soldiers at the Fort
Many different groups of soldiers served at Fort Atkinson.
- The 1st US Dragoons arrived in June 1840. They stayed until June 1846.
- The 1st US Infantry replaced the 5th US Infantry in September 1841.
- In August 1842, the fort had its largest group of soldiers. There were 196 soldiers from three different companies.
- After June 1846, many soldiers left to fight in the Mexican–American War.
- Volunteer soldiers from Iowa then staffed the fort. They helped move the Ho-Chunk from Iowa to Minnesota in June 1848.
- The last soldiers left the fort in February 1849.
Fort's Later Years
The fort was sold to private owners in 1855. They planned to build a town called Fort Atkinson on the land. In 1906, scientists studied the stone used in the fort. They found it was a special type of limestone. This stone came from a shallow tropical sea about 440 million years ago. The state of Iowa bought the fort in 1921. Reconstruction work began in 1958. In 1968, Fort Atkinson became a State Preserve. It was recognized for its important geology, history, and archaeology.
Fort Atkinson's Design
Fort Atkinson was built like many frontier posts. It had a rectangular shape. A tall wooden fence, called a stockade, surrounded the fort. This stockade was nearly 12 feet high. Inside the stockade, there were 24 buildings. Outside, there were 14 more buildings.
Inside the Walls
At the center of the fort was a parade ground. This was an open area for soldiers to gather. Four main buildings, called barracks, surrounded the parade ground. These were where the soldiers lived.
- Cannon houses were at the northeast and southwest corners.
- A gunpowder magazine was in the southeast corner. This was where gunpowder was stored safely.
- A commissary was in the northwest corner. This building held food and supplies.
Outside the Walls
Buildings outside the fort included:
- A granary, for storing grain.
- A bakery, for making bread.
- A blacksmith shop, for working with metal.
- Stables, for horses.
The buildings were made from limestone rocks. These rocks were dug up nearby. Some buildings used logs with cut-pine shingle roofs.
