The Fort Atkinson Story

Fort Atkinson was established in 1840 some of the buildings in the town of Fort to monitor the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) Atkinson. In 1958 a portion of the North Nation who had been forced to move from Barracks and the log stockade were their traditional homeland in Wisconsin to reconstructed, and in 1968 the fort was the Neutral Ground in northeastern Iowa. dedicated as a State Preserve. Post Commissary – The walls of this The fort’s founder, Brigadier General The Fort Atkinson site has been the building formed the northwest corner of Henry Atkinson, promised the Ho-Chunk subject of numerous archaeological and the stockade. The Commissary is where that the fort would protect them from their historical investigations beginning as Artist’s reconstruction of the North Barracks. the offi cial military equipment, tools, non- traditional enemies who lived all around early as 1939. This research has re- perishable food, and other supplies were the Neutral Ground and also keep white covered numerous artifacts and building stored. These materials settlers from moving into the territory. At foundations which help to tell the story of were hauled by wagons the same time, the government expected life at the fort. The Fort the soldiers to prevent the Ho-Chunk from as far away as St. Section of the stockade where horizontal logs Louis, and often were A Self- from returning to their homeland. Horse- replace what was once part of a building. mounted dragoons were stationed at Fort delayed during the Guided Atkinson Guard House – A small frame Guard Atkinson to patrol the Neutral Ground and winter. As a result, the Walking House stood west of the North Barracks. keep the peace. commissary had to hold Tour of It had two rooms, one for the guard Military button. Story Orders and supplies came to Fort enough supplies to last on duty and one for the prisoners. A Fort Atkinson Atkinson from the Second Fort Crawford Stockade and Main Gate – The fort many months. 75-pound iron grate separated the two in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Soldiers was laid out in a rectangular shape with rooms. The Guard House was most frequently traveled between these forts the four main barracks arranged around a North Barracks – To the right of the along a road, known as the Military Road, central parade ground. A stockade 11 feet main gate is a two-story limestone build- often used to hold soldiers who were be- which crossed the Mississippi River at 9 inches high surrounded the main building which was one of two barracks for ing punished, but Ho-Chunk who tried to Harpers Ferry. The Joel Post house was ings. The pickets were hewed fl at and fi t enlisted men. The eastern portion of return to Wisconsin or civilians accused located about halfway along the 50-mile close together, and the pointed tops were the building served as a hospital. The of abusing Native Americans were also route and was often used as an overnight tipped with iron. Gun openings were cut fi rst fl oor had mess rooms for eating, a confi ned there at times. Sutler’s Store – The Sutler’s Store camp by the soldiers. at regular intervals all the way around. kitchen, and a commandant’s offi ce. The was not government property. It was built Although no fi ghting ever took place There were three gates in the stockade. men of Company B of the 1st Dragoons and owned by H. M. Rice. Here, soldiers at the fort, General Atkinson selected a The main gate opened to the north onto lived on the second fl oor. They slept could purchase miscellaneous personal site on a high bluff that provided a strong the Military Road which was the main 12 to each room and two to a bed. The items such as clay pipes, tobacco, and defensive position. The major buildings route for travel and supplies. soldiers’ military duties included patrolling combs. To haul all his goods, the sutler As you look at the reconstructed stock- the Neutral Ground and standing guard and stockade were built between 1842 Cistern – In an effort to dig a well, a kept a small stable outside the fort for his ade you will notice that there are sections duty. The rest of their time was fi lled with and 1845. shaft was dug by hand 120 feet through team of horses and wagon. where the logs are horizontal rather than jobs such as gardening, cutting fi rewood, The fort was disbanded in 1849 when solid rock. The well never struck water the Ho-Chunk were moved out of Iowa upright. This is because the outer walls caring for livestock, hauling water and but was eventually used as a cistern to and the soldiers were sent to fi ght in the of some buildings actually formed part of supplies, butchering animals and cutting store water. The cistern’s stone-lined Mexican-American War. In 1855 many the stockade. You will also notice that ice. walls took three years to complete and of the buildings were torn down and the in places the stockade has been made The central portion of the original provided the only source of water within Clay pipe. Fort Atkinson Dragoons salvaged materials were used to build shorter to allow a view beyond the wall. building was restored in 1958 and has been converted into a museum. the stockade. Notice that the rifl e slits are wider on the and three privies behind it. The inside than the outside. This allowed the commanding offi cer, Captain C. soldiers to move to the right or left to take V. Sumner, had his quarters in aim, while making it harder for someone the north end of this building. South Barracks – The south en- Root House and Ice House – On the Laundress Houses – The enlisted Quarry – A modern opening in the to shoot in from the outside. The cannon Offi cers were allowed to have listed men’s barracks was a two-story outside of the stockade near the south- men were not allowed to have their wives western stockade allows visitors to exit portals are wider their wives and children live with log structure which housed the men of I east corner of the fort a path ran down to and families with them at the fort. Some the compound to view the limestone on the outside so them inside the fort. In the 19th Company, 1st Dragoons and K Company, the bottom of the bluff. Here two small of their wives, however, took jobs as quarry just over the edge of the bluff. that the cannon century people often threw their 1st Infantry. The raised stone platforms log buildings were built into the side of laundresses, living and working in three Much of the stone used for building at could be aimed French garbage away by dumping it in in the center of the foundations helped to wine the river bank. One was used to store small buildings just beyond the fort walls. the fort was excavated right here by the over a broad area. the outhouses. Fragments of support the wood- bottle. ice cut from the river in the winter and The soldiers paid these women to do their soldiers and hired laborers. The cannon open- fl ower pots, imported English en fl oors. This the other served as a root cellar. These laundry for them. ings had wooden china, and French wine bottles were building was not buildings took advantage of the ground’s covers that were Cannon portal on the recovered during archaeological exca- only a barracks, natural insulation to preserve the perish- closed while the outside of the building. vation of the offi cers’ but also had a ables stored in them. Thru cannon was being Bone domino. quarters. Such items schoolroom for the reloaded. The stone fl oor allowed the show how these people 19 26 offi cers’ children and served as a church heavy cannons to be moved more easily. tried to bring elements on Sundays. Some of the objects found Near the Laundress Houses were of the lifestyles that they in excavations here provide clues to a CARPENTER SHOP (19), BAKE- had left behind with recreation at the fort. They include clay HOUSE (20), BLACKSMITH SHOP (21), them to the frontier. Imported English Northeast Block House - This block- pipes, bone dominoes, and a jaw harp china. QUARTERMASTER’S OFFICE and house was built into the northeast corner which soldiers used to pass STABLES (22), a GRANARY (23) for of the fort to defend the north and east View of quarry. the time. Children’s clay storing feed for the horses, and THREE stockade lines, the Military Road, and marbles and a fragment STABLES (24, 25, 26) for the soldiers’ West Offi cers’ Quarters – The Of- the outlying buildings to the north. Fort of a slate and a slate horses. As many as 200 horses were fi cers lived in the buildings on the west Atkinson had two mountain howitzers pencil could have been kept here at one time. Some of the sur- and east ends of the parade ground. Powder Magazine – The sturdy and two “six pounder” cannons. These used for school lessons. Jaw harp. rounding area was fenced for pasture. The West Offi cers’ Quarters was a two- structure in the southeast corner of the would have been fi red out the lower, A fi ne-toothed comb made A fort cemetery also existed less than a story log structure with partial cellars for fort was used to store gun powder and wood-covered windows in the walls.

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