Fort Nya Elfsborg facts for kids
Fort Nya Elfsborg was an old fort and settlement built by the Swedes. It was part of a colony called New Sweden. The fort was built in 1643 and was named after a strong fortress in Sweden called Älvsborg Fortress. You could find Fort Nya Elfsborg on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River. It was located between what are now the towns of Salem and Alloway Creek.
Contents
The Story of Fort Nya Elfsborg
Early Days on the River
When Europeans first arrived in the 1600s, the Delaware River had a different name. People called it the South River. The Salem River was known as Varkens Kill, which means "Hogg Creek." The Dutch were here first. They set up a trading post called Fort Nassau in 1626. This was on the east side of the South River. They said this land was part of their colony, New Netherland.
New Sweden Arrives
Even though the Dutch claimed the land, the colony of New Sweden started in 1638. Their first settlement was Fort Christina on the west side of the river. In 1641, some settlers from the New Haven Colony (in today's Connecticut) bought land. They bought it from the native Lenape people. This land was along the Varkens Kill and the Schuylkill River. In 1643, the Dutch forced these settlers to leave their trading post.
Building Fort Nya Elfsborg
Fort Nya Elfsborg was built soon after Johan Printz arrived. He was the governor of New Sweden. He got to the colony on February 15, 1643. Governor Printz allowed the Varkens Kill settlers to stay. But they had to promise to be loyal to Sweden. He also built another fort, Fort Nya Gothenborg. This fort was on Tinicum Island. This island is near today's Philadelphia. Governor Printz built his own home there, called The Printzhof.
Life at the Fort
Fort Nya Elfsborg was a strong place. It had cannons made of iron and brass. These were 12-pound cannons. They were set up on earth walls and wooden fences. The fort was shaped like a triangle. It had eight guns ready for defense. Swedish-style farmhouses were built around the fort. These were further down the river. This way, any ships from the Dutch West India Company coming up the bay would have to pass them first.
The Mosquito Problem
The area around the fort was mostly swampy. The soldiers living there had a big problem: mosquitos! There were so many of them. People even nicknamed the fort "Fort Mosquito" (Fort Myggenborgh). The soldiers eventually left the fort. They didn't leave because of enemy attacks. They left because of the mosquito bites!
The End of the Fort
New Sweden burned down Fort Nya Elfsborg in 1651. This happened after the Dutch built Fort Casimir across the river. Today, the exact spot of the fort is underwater. It is near Elsinboro Point. In 2012, people tried to find the fort's remains. They looked for its precise location. But they didn't find anything. There is a black stone monument outside the Elsinboro Township School. This stone came from an old fortress in Sweden built in the 1200s.
