Fort Crawford facts for kids
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Second Fort Crawford Military Hospital
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Fort Crawford Museum in 2009
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 Location in Wisconsin
Location in the United States
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| Location | Rice Street and South Beaumont Rd Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin |
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| NRHP reference No. | 66000121 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
| Designated NHL | October 9, 1960 |
Fort Crawford was an important military base for the United States Army in the 1800s. It was located in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, a town along the Mississippi River.
There were actually two forts, both called Fort Crawford. The first fort was used from 1816 to 1832. The second fort was used from 1832 to 1856. These forts were part of a chain of military outposts along the upper Mississippi River. Other forts included Fort Snelling in Minnesota and Fort Armstrong in Illinois.
Today, the site of the second fort is home to the Fort Crawford Museum. This museum is inside the Second Fort Crawford Military Hospital, which was rebuilt in the 1930s. It's the only part of either fort that still stands. Because of its history, it was named a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1960.
Contents
The First Fort Crawford: A River Outpost
The U.S. Army first came to Prairie du Chien during the War of 1812. They built a fort called Fort Shelby on an island in the Mississippi River. In 1814, British forces captured Fort Shelby and renamed it Fort McKay.
The British stayed in Prairie du Chien until 1815. After the war ended with the Treaty of Ghent, they burned Fort McKay before leaving. This way, the Americans couldn't use it again.
In June 1816, U.S. soldiers returned to protect the area. They built a new fort on the same spot. This fort was named Fort Crawford, honoring William H. Crawford, who was the Secretary of War at the time.
The first Fort Crawford was made mostly of wood. It was a large square, about 343 feet on each side. It had Blockhouses, which are small forts, at two of its corners. Building the fort took all summer in 1816.
Keeping the Peace and Making Treaties
After the fort was built, soldiers worked to keep peace between new white settlers and the Native American tribes living in the region. Lieutenant Colonel Henry Leavenworth was one of the early leaders at the fort.
Many important meetings with Native American tribes happened at Fort Crawford in the 1820s. In 1825, one of the biggest meetings in U.S. history took place there. Over 5,000 representatives from nearly a dozen Native American nations gathered. They met to discuss and sign the first Treaty of Prairie du Chien.
Challenges and Moving On
Life at the first Fort Crawford was tough. Because it was right next to the Mississippi River, diseases like malaria and dysentery were common. People didn't understand how mosquitoes and clean water prevented these illnesses back then.
Also, the fort's wooden walls often rotted because of floods that happened almost every spring. After a big flood in 1826, the soldiers were ordered to leave. They moved to Fort Snelling in Minnesota.
While the fort was empty in 1827, a group of Winnebago Indians, led by Chief Red Bird, attacked a settler family nearby. This event started the Winnebago War of 1827. The government quickly sent soldiers back to Prairie du Chien.
The Army soon decided that the first Fort Crawford was no longer safe or healthy. In 1828, they planned to build a new fort on higher ground. Major Stephen W. Kearny chose a new spot on a hill near the river's eastern bank.
The Second Fort Crawford: A Stronger Base
Construction of the second Fort Crawford began in 1829. It was overseen by Colonel Zachary Taylor, who later became a President of the United States. The new fort was built on the mainland, much higher up, so it wouldn't flood.
Instead of wood, the new fort was made from strong limestone. This made it much more durable. However, using stone and waiting for government money meant the fort took a long time to finish. It wasn't fully ready until 1835. Soldiers had to stay in the old fort until 1832.
Medical Discoveries at the Fort
Army surgeon Dr. William Beaumont worked hard to keep the soldiers healthy. Dr. Beaumont became famous for his experiments on human digestion. He conducted 56 of these important experiments at the Fort Crawford hospital. His work helped him understand how things like temperature and emotions affect how our bodies digest food.
Wars and Famous Figures
As the second fort was being finished in 1832, the Black Hawk War started in Illinois. Soldiers from Fort Crawford were called to protect pioneer towns. After the Battle of Bad Axe, Chief Black Hawk surrendered to Colonel Zachary Taylor at Fort Crawford.
Black Hawk was held at the fort until Lieutenant Jefferson Davis took him to St. Louis, Missouri. Davis had been stationed at Fort Crawford since 1831. He later became the President of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.
While at Fort Crawford, Jefferson Davis fell in love with Sarah Knox Taylor, Colonel Zachary Taylor's daughter. Colonel Taylor didn't approve, thinking army life was too hard on wives. In 1834, Davis was moved to Fort Gibson in Oklahoma. He soon left the Army to be with Sarah. When her father still wouldn't agree to their marriage, they eloped to Kentucky and married in 1835.
From 1835 to 1836, soldiers from Fort Crawford built a road to Fort Winnebago in Portage. This route is now followed by U.S. Highway 18 towards Madison, Wisconsin. It goes over Military Ridge, named for this very road.
After the road was done and the Ho-Chunk people moved from Wisconsin, the fort wasn't needed as much. It was left empty in 1849. It was briefly used again in 1855 due to rumors of a Native American uprising, but nothing happened. Soldiers left the fort for good on June 9, 1856.
During the American Civil War, the fort was used as part of a large hospital for the Union Army.
Fort Crawford Museum: A Look into History
Except for its use as a hospital and recruitment center during the American Civil War, Fort Crawford was empty from 1856 until 1933. In 1933, the Daughters of the American Revolution started rebuilding part of the fort's hospital. They also cleared away other old parts of the fort for new buildings.
In the 1960s, the rebuilt hospital became the Fort Crawford Museum of Medical Progress. It showed exhibits about Dr. Beaumont's experiments and other medical advances. The Wisconsin Medical Society ran it until 1995.
In 1996, the museum was given to the Prairie du Chien Historical Society. It became the Prairie du Chien Museum at Fort Crawford, focusing on local history. The hospital building, which is a National Historic Landmark, still has exhibits about Dr. Beaumont and medical history. Other buildings nearby now show different parts of Prairie du Chien's past.
See also
