New Sign in Fort Madison, Iowa, Announces War of 1812 Battlefield

From the November 2, 2022, Fort Madison (Iowa) Democrat by Robin Delaney.

The War of 1812 Battlefield Park between Fourt and Fifth Street on Avenue G in Fort Madison now has a new sign announcing its place in history for both residents and tourists.

A donation from the Fort Madison Lions Club along with contributions from individuals paid for the $2,000 sign.

The park and all is due in large part to the efforts of  Carol Foss.

Development of the battlefield park began several years ago with the purchase of the property for $50,000 by the North Lee County Historical Society  after a fundraising campaign.

The original Fort Madison battlefield site is located on the eastern half of the Sheaffer Pen property.  RSBR Investments LLC purchased the Sheaffer Pen property in 2014 to construct the east-end Dollar General, but the property was split in half, so that then historic battlefield land could be turned into into an educational tourism site.

--Brock-Perry

Old Fort Madison Opens Season with a Bang

From the May 2, 2022, Hawkeye (Fort Madison, Iowa) by John Gaines.

The firing of Old Fort Madison's ceremonial cannon from the fort's museum courtyard added an exclamation point to the  opening event Sunday, May 1.

The original fort  operated as a trading post between the U.S. Army and Indians from 1808 to 1813.  It survived a four-day siege during a War of 1812 battle and operated for another year.  Then, soldiers burned the fort as they withdrew to St. Louis due to a food shortage. and the brutal onset of the winter of 1813-1814.

The site was listed  on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 after Iowa archaeologists excavated the original fort's location site.  In 1983, volunteer inmates from the nearby Iowa State  built the current replica fort a few blocks away from the original site at  Riverview Park.

Like the original fort, the replica museum is near the river.

The cannon fired Sunday is a 6-pound iron field piece on a 9-pound  siege carriage.

Back in the early 1800s, the cannon would be used against infantry and would use 2 1/2  to 3 pounds of powder to fire a six-pound ball capable of traveling 800-900 yards and wiping out  about 25 soldiers.

--Brock-Perry

Old Fort Madison in Iowa-- Part 3: A Great Day-Trip

You can visit Old Fort Madison in Riverview Park in the town of Fort Madison, Iowa.  There you'll see  what life was like on a frontier trading fort during the early days of our nation.    See what life was like for a soldier stationed there.

Experience a musket being fired by am interpreter in period garb.  Read through  historical documents from letters to receipts.

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ADDRESS:  716 Riverview Drive, Fort Madison, Iowa

ON LINE:  oldfortmadison.org

FUN FACT:  Fort Madison pre-dates the state of Iowa itself.  It is the site of the first settlement in what would later become Iowa.

KIDS:  The hands-on factor at Old Fort Madison makes it  perfect for kids.  They can feel a beaver pelt, try on uniforms and run and climb around the fort to let off some steam

Sounds Like Another Place in Iowa I'll Have to Visit.  --Brock-Perry

Old Fort Madison in Iowa-- Part 2: Like a Wal-Mart and Downfall

Old Fort Madison became one of the most popular trading posts with the Native Americans where they could essentially buy anything they needed.

"It was pretty much like a Wal-Mart," said Eugene Watkins.  "The natives could get everything there from pre-made clothes to firearms and they  could get it at cost without  having alcohol pushed on them.

In return, the Indians got top dollar for raw materials like furs, lead and even feathers.

"One shipment to St. Louis contained 578 pounds of feathers traded by the Natives."

The demise of Fort Madison came during the War of 1812 when it was attacked several times mostly by  Ho-Chunk and Menomonee warriors.  

It is unknown how many  civilians, Missouri Territory militia, U.S. Rangers and Native Americans are buried at Fort Madison.  However, there are 21  soldiers and one Ranger buried there, making it the oldest military cemetery in Iowa.

Eventually, the fort was burned by soldiers after the trading became compromised.

--Brock-Perry

Old Fort Madison in Iowa-- Part 1: A Major Indian Trading Post

From the May 24, 2021, Des Moines (Iowa) Register "Trip on a tankful:  Old Fort Madison 'an odd piece of American history" by Paula Reece.

A lesser-known piece of American history is the establishment of the United States  Government Factory System.  In response to the 1804 Treaty of St. Louis, government trading posts were set up as part of the payment to the Sac and Fox Nations for lands they gave to the United States.

To keep peace and good will, the government sold everything to the Indians at cost and offered high prices on Native goods.

What set the government  factories apart from private trading posts was the fact that no alcohol was sold.  One of the most successful government  trading posts was along the Mississippi River in what is today the town of Fort Madison, Iowa.

Eugene Watkins, site manager at Old Fort Madison, a replica of the original fort, says it is one of the most unique spots to visit in Iowa.

--Brock-Perry

Macomb, Illinois, Celebrates General Macomb's Birthday-- Part 2

The future Macdonough County was part of the Military Tract of 1812 that Congress set aside as payment to soldiers in the War of 1812.  This was an attempt to get families moving to the frontier.  Many of them and their heirs were unwilling to relocate and sold their land warrants to speculators.

Nearby to Macomb is Old Fort Madison which was attacked by Indians allied with the British during the War of 1812.  The original fort was abandoned and burned by the U.S. Army in 1813 when they ran out of food due to a contractor sending them unsafe food.  A reproduction of the fort has been built in Riverview Park in Ft. Madison, Iowa.

--Brock-Perry