Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1921-06-22
FORT ATKINSON
STATE PARK
and Buildings Have Been
Purchased by Citizens and Will
Be Preserved for Fine
Park.
LOCATED ON BLUFFS
OF THE TURKEY RIVER
The Fort Was Named in Honor of
Henry Atkinson, General In
American Army and
Indian Fighter.

The Fort Atkinson State Park is
receiving lot of favorable advertis-
ing over this district and it is de-
serving of a boost flom everybody.
The Fayette county Union had the
following interesting article about
the park in a recent issue.
On the bluffs of the Turkey river
at Fort Atkinson there are several
buildings, including a block house,
from which the village has it's name
Fort Atkinson. The buildings
were erected in 1841 as a base for
U. s. troops that might protect the
white settlers from the Indians and
the Winnebagoes from fighting the
Sioux on the north and the Sacs
and Foxes to the south. The fort
was named in honor of Henry Atkin-
son, a general in the American
Army, and an Indian fighter of note.
Company F., 5th United States In
fantry, Capt. Lynde commanding,
camped there in May 1S40, and the
Fort was completed in 1S41. It is
history that 700 Winnebagoes spent
the winter there and school was es-
tablished by them. In June, 1S41,
Company B, 1st U. s. Dragons join
ed the first company. The fort at
that time consisted of barracks, two
block houses, powder house, ware
houses, Office quarters and chapel.
They were constructed of stone with
walls two feet thick. A military
ro&d was constructed to Fort Craw-
ford, part of which still may be
seen at Prairie du Chen. In 1876,
the garrison at Fort Atkinson was
withdrawn for service in the Mexi-
can War and Iowa volunteer troops
took the place. In iS49 the fort
was abandoned and later sold.
The citizens of Fort Atkinson and
vicinity concluded last year that the
buildings that remain and the
grounds should be reclaimed and
made arrangements which resulted
in raising a fund for the purchase
of the same, and it is learned that
the State Park Commission will see
to it that the buildings are repaired
and made as nearly as possible as
they were four score years ago. One
of the block houses remains very
much as it was in the olden days.
The port holes for the rifles have
been stopped with plaster, but in the
middle of the sides of the block
house there are larger openings, wi
der on the outer sides, through
which it was intended that cannon
should speak in no uncertain terms
to the Indians. In one of these clos
ed port holes you may see an Iowa
biddie Setting" on her nest, either
getting ready to deposit an egg or
to hatch out a brood of chicks.
Sharp contrast between the cannon
and the domestic fowl.
Then there is the main old bar
racks building that housed the SOL
diers in the days prior to the Mexi-
can War, one of the officers quar-
ters and the ruins of the old chapel.
1t is a beautiful site overlooking the
Turkey river and the village of Fort
Atkinson and the motorist finds it
pleasant to stop there for a few min
utes and look over the buildings for
merly an American fort but for near
ly three score years and ten in use
for housing people and stock. But
this will soon be changed and the
slightly grounds with the restored
buildings will become a state park.