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
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