Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-05-22
STORY OF FT.ATkINSON
AND SKETCH OF GENERAL ATKINSON,
FOR WHOM 1T WAS NAMED.
Interesting Historical Sketch Of Early His.
tory in Northeastern Iowa, Describing
the Rise and Fall Of Fort Atkin.
son, this County.

sun, tutS Ocuuty.
The name, Henry Atkinson, does
not mean much to us now, and still
at one time in our country's history,
that name was known as far as our
frontier borders. He was born in the
backwoods of North Carolina in 1880,
two years before Benton, and early
Joined the army, where he rose grad
uallly till he was made brigadier
general in 1920, the sam year Benton
became senator, taking command of
the western division. He was in
command at the time of the Black
Hawk disturbance, and on August ]
and 2, 1882, defeated Black Hawk in
that memorable battle on Bad Axe
near the mouth of the Wisconsin
river No Indian outbreak was more
advertised than the Black Hawk war
and many of the soldiers who took
part in this disturbance became
known to the people later as the men
into whose hands should be thrust the
destinies of our republic. In this war
partook jefferson Davis. A. S. Johns
ton and Abraham Lincoln. who later
were to play such conspicuous part
in our country's history.
Atkinson became noted for his deal :
ings with the red men and for his
farsightedness. and when in 1888 on
the 18th day of June congress passed
an act to make Iowa separate terri
tory, Martin Van Buren, then presi-
dent, had man in mind who had
done so much in the development of
this part of the west, and caused Gen.
Atkinson to be appointed. The salary
was 81. 500 as governor, and 81 700 as
superintendent of the Indian affairs,
making a round sum of 30. 500 annual
ly. There were many reasons given
why the general should accept this
place for which he was so we'll Quali-
fed. But the general rather preferred
the military life; he was stationed at
Jefferson Barracks, surrounded by
agreeable people and close to the
western metropolis, st. Louis. He
declined and from this time we hear
but little of him, devoting his time
to the work of the army. establishing
posts. and looking after the frontier
white settlers and the various Indian
tribes. He writes from Fort Crawfrd
near Prairie du CHEN, Wis, in
March. 1910, as to the establishing of
a fort in Wisconsin county, Iowa, on
the banks of Turkey river, on what
was then known as neutral ground,
TO keep the warning Indian tribes
apart, and for the protection of the
Winnebago tribe of Indians consisting
of ZOO souls. The war department
seemed to be of the same opinion for
on the last day of May of the same
year Captain Isaac Lynde with eighty
men located the camp and it was
named in accordance with the wishes
of the secretary of war, Fort Atk;n-
son." At about this time there were
the following forts in Iowa, all laid
ont by Gen. Atkinson: Agency, later
removed to Fort Des Moines, and
Fort Croghan, now Council Bluffs,
where the Pottawattamie tribe OF
Indians were stationed.
In June, 1910, the government be-
gan to erect buildings of stone for the
barracks. etc, at Fit. Atkinson, which
took some time. School buildings
were also erected The stone which
was used in these buildings was taken
at Prairie du Chien, in Wisconsin.
and a military road was also built
between that place and FIT. Atkinson.
1t was intended so that there would
be easy communication between the
two forts. This is, as far as known,
the first and only military road in
Iowa. The buildings cost upwards of
500, 900 before they were completed.
The school was operated for some
time with fair prospects, but the
Indians failed to avail themselves of
the opportunities. and in lS47.S they
were removed and the fort as such
abandoned.
In January, lS4S, the general assem-
bly, petitioned the government for the
use of the buildings and the land,
about SEQ acres. located i'm township
I.96, range 3, but the state was turned
down 1t was intended to be used as a
state agricultural college and no place
could have been more appropriate
than just here. A few years later the
state sent another petition to congress
asking that the government donate
this site to the state for the use of a
state normal school, but again the
government officials felt that it was
"trustee of an express trust" and
that this property could not be thus
given away, which had been paid for