The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-10-09

discovered during the recent eviscera-
ton of the structure, has been sent
down to the army building in st. Paul
as a relic that might interest the
clerks. But its place is fully taken
now by the new electric lamps IN
high art" brass.
Within a single back room on the
second floor one can discover traces
of the old wall pierced with loopholes.
But the old wall alone might look nat
ural and crude. 1t has been generously
plastered, therefore, with the all-re-
storing putty
The round tower, as it used to be,
pictured the past truly.
Wen. in 1919, the federal government
decided to take possession of this part
of the unsettled frontier, and to drive
out the Britons then trading hereabouts
with the Indians, Lieut.. Col. Henry
Leavenworth, u. S. A; was sent to the
mouth of the st. Peters (Minnesota)
river. He was to occupy with mill
tary post the site recommended by
Lieut.. Zebulon Pike, who had made an
exploratory trip to st. Anthony Fails
in 1905.
Col. Leavenworth arrived at "St.
Peters," as traders called the junction
of the rivers, in August, 1873. he
passed the winter on the banks of the
st. Peters and not on the adjoining
bluff But in May, 1920, an inundation
compelled him to move up the Missis-
sippi a short distance and establish
near some springs Camp Coldwater.
1t was in September Of the same
year that he moved again to the pla-
teau above, and laid, with much cere-
mony," the corner stone of the round
tower that his military successors were
to conceal so carefully, with good
British cement, eighty-four years after
wards.
Original Fort ST. Anthony
This original Fort st. Anthony. COM
pleted in 1922, was an oval, or diamond
shaped, enclosure upon the point of
bluff two sides of which were fortified
by nature. The plateau was one hum
dred feet higher than the junction of
the two rivers. At the eastern apex of
the bluff was the dwelling, or quarters,
of the commanding officer. At the
western end at the most exposed point
accessible, on a level, from the top of
the bluff the round tower stood gall
liant guard. On the north small
precipice descended to the bank Of the
Mississippi. On the south side steep
road up the edge of the bluff from the
Minnesota afforded the only commune
cation between the plateau and the
river banks. This side was specially
protected by a hexagonal tower en-
brasured and loop holed. At the sides
of the oval low stone barracks were
constructed. Uniting these buildings
| with each other and the two towers,
Col. Leavenworth raised a stone wall.
Until the recent improvements at
the old or lower post the foregoing con-
ditions still remained in large measure.
There was still the round tower at
one end, the commandments quarters at
hn oil Cf{ k1,n hnv oil frxxy IN
the south; there were still a number
of low stone structures along the sides.
Some of these side buildings had APP
parently been removed. Most of the
walls had been destroyed, though q
few feet of them were left standing,
by way of illustration, at their juno
ton with the old round tower.
Two Most Cherished Relics
OF all the remains of Fort st. An
| thony-renamed Fort Smelling about
1S24-the two towers were by far the
| most significant, the most decorative,
the most cherished. Nothing to COM
pare with them for romantic sugges-
ton and historic association could else
where be seen throughout all the great
Northwest.
And of the two towers, the round
tower, because of its position in the
center Of the plateau and near the end
| of the Mississippi river bridge from
| st. Paul, was easily the most notable.
The barracks, miscellaneous build
| ings and commandments house were old,
but not distinctive; yet they meant
more to the intelligent visitor than did
any new building that could possibly
take their place. Moreover, the area
of the entire lower post was so small
in comparison with the thousands of
acres in the military reservation, that
no person interested in his state and
its history would have wished to see
the feeblest wall thrown down in old
| Fort st. Anthony.
And when, few years ago, plans
| for remodeling the Tower post" VERT
prepared at the army building, ST
Paul, by Col. George E. Pond, con-
strueting quartermaster and quarter
master of the department of Dakota,
and We're then sent to Washington for
revision and approval, before the inn
| proVements could be started. no hint
was given that any buildings and least
OF all the old towers, were about to be
deSecrated.
Leave a Grotesque Wreck
But once started on it's remodeling
career the war department has gro
! tesquely wrecked the venerable fort.
and grotesquely transformed what it
/ did not wreck. Col. Leavenworth. the
| designer of the fort; Col Smelling. who
| completed the fort in 1922; Gen. Win
field Scott, who inspected and admired
| it. in 1924 Gen. Zach Taylor, the
future president, who commanded the
fort from 1928 to 1929; all would now
imagine, if escorted by a celestial