Fort Conti facts for kids
Fort Conti was a small fort built by the French in early 1679. It was located at the mouth of the Niagara River where it meets Lake Ontario. The fort was named after Louis Armand I, Prince of Conti, who supported Henri de Tonti, a key person working with the French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle.
The main goal of Fort Conti was to help France control the important fur trade in the lower Great Lakes region.
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Why Fort Conti Was Built
The French wanted to control the valuable fur trade. This meant they needed safe places to store goods and move them around. Fort Conti was built to be a key stopping point for ships. These ships would come from Fort Frontenac, which is now Kingston, Ontario.
Moving Supplies and Goods
From Fort Conti, supplies were moved further up the Niagara River. This was done using smaller boats like canoes or bateaux (flat-bottomed boats). The journey was tricky because of Niagara Falls.
Workers had to carry the supplies and boats around the falls. This difficult process is called "portaging." They would carry everything past the powerful waterfalls to a safer spot. This spot was likely near what is now La Salle, New York.
Le Griffon and Exploration
La Salle used Fort Conti as a base to build a larger ship. This ship was named Le Griffon. It was likely put together at the fort after being brought there in pieces.
Le Griffon was used to explore the Niagara River and Lake Erie. La Salle hoped to find a water route to the East Indies (a group of islands in Southeast Asia).
The Fort's Short Life
In the summer of 1679, only a few men stayed at Fort Conti while La Salle explored the upper Great Lakes. When these men returned to Fort Frontenac, they claimed "Indian raiders" had burned the fort.
However, historians believe this story might have been a cover-up. The men probably just wanted to escape the harsh, windy winter by Lake Ontario. Native people in the area did not become hostile until a few years later.
Regardless of the reason, Fort Conti burned down in late 1679. It was never rebuilt.
What Happened Next
Even though Fort Conti was gone, the location remained important. Later, the French built other forts there.
- Fort Denonville: This fort was built after Fort Conti but lasted less than a year.
- Fort Niagara: This much stronger and more permanent fort was built later. It still stands today and is a popular historical site.
Today, the original site of Fort Conti is part of Fort Niagara State Park. It is managed by a non-profit group in the town of Porter, New York.
