Fort Saint Antoine facts for kids
Fort Saint Antoine was an old French fort built in 1686. It was located on Lake Pepin in what is now Wisconsin. An explorer and fur trader named Nicholas Perrot built it with his team of French Canadians. They came to this area to trade with the Native American tribes living there.
Contents
Perrot's Journey to the West
In the fall of 1685, Nicholas Perrot and his team traveled by canoe. They went down the Trempealeau River to Trempealeau Mountain. This spot was where the Trempealeau River met the Mississippi River. They built a shelter there to get ready for winter.
Before this, they had left a place called La Baye. They crossed Wisconsin using the Fox and Wisconsin rivers. Their goal was to reach the upper Mississippi Valley.
Why Perrot Traveled Here
Perrot's main reason for this journey was to make friends with the Ioway and Dakota Native American tribes. The French wanted to grow their fur trade business. While other French explorers had visited the upper Mississippi Valley before, Perrot's trip was special. It was the first time someone tried to set up a trading post with these specific tribes.
Building Fort Saint Antoine
In the spring of 1686, Perrot's team left the Trempealeau site. They found a better spot along Lake Pepin to build their fort. This new fort was named Fort Saint Antoine.
Over the next 35 years, French trade in the upper Mississippi Valley had good times and bad times. It wasn't until 1731 that the French returned to the area. This was after the Fox Indian Wars ended. A French commander named René Godefroy, sieur de Linctot built another trading post near Trempealeau.
The End of French Control
Later, in 1763, the French lost the Seven Years' War to the British. Because of this, they gave up all their land in North America east of the Mississippi River to Britain. They gave their land west of the river to Spain. This meant the French no longer controlled the area where Fort Saint Antoine once stood.
