Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1922-04-26
GET REWARD AFTER MANY
YEARS LABOR
Rebuilding of Fort Atkinson M0nu.
ment to Efforts of Citizens
of the State.

Reconstruction of the remaining
buildings of historic Fort Atkinson
will be undertaken this spring by
the state park commission. This ac-
ton will mark the elimination of
twenty years labor on the part of
prominent Iowans with view to re-
storation of the old fort and beau
tifying the surrounding acreage and
utilizing it as state park.
The fort was one of the first erect
ed in Iowa, its construction being
authorized by act of congress in 1910.
When the nineteenth century was
still young the tide of civilization
crossed the Mississippi river from
Fort Crawford at Prairie du Chen,
which was the only fully garrisoned
military establishment on the upper
river.
The Iowa plains west of Fort Craw-
IOiu "CIC InS duOuS VI NdI4OuS ltlUSS
of Indians, including the Sioux,
Sauks, Foxes and Winnebagos. With
the exception of the Winnie
bagos, the redmen resented the
intrusion of the white settlers, and
as result of incesent attracks on
the Winnebagos, as we'll as the white
men, congress decided to erect a fort
in northwestern Iowa.
Work was begun on the military
reservation on June 2, 1910. The
military trail was established as far
west as the Turkey river, where a
temporary garrison, consisting of
Company F, Fifth infantry, under
Captain Isaac Lynde, was encamped.
Seven hundred Winnebagos spent a
year in this temporary encampment.
In June, 1841, Company B of the
First United States dragons, under
Captain Edwin V. Summers, joined
the Lynde troops, and moved on to
the new fort.
A blockhouse topped the hills that
commanded a beautiful valley, that of
Turkey river. A military road was
built to Prairie due Chen. In 1916,
Captain Aliens company of dragons
came up from Fort Des Moines, and,
with Captain Summers troops, spent
three months holding councils with
the Indians in quest of tribal peace.
In 1916 the soldiers were withdrawn
from Fort Atkinson for service in
the Mexican war. Volunteer troops
-Iowa's first national guard-took
their places. In 1S49 the fort was
abandoned, and four years later it
was sold at auction for $4,000, against
the original cost of 100000.
Subsequent sales to individuals
split the reservation into small par
cells, and three buildings now re-
main of the original fort.
Twenty years ago an effort was
made to preserve the historic fort,
but it was a failure. About two
years ago prominent Iowans, while
en- an automobile tour of nOrthwes-
tern Iowa, spent day at the fort.
They found one of the buildings util-
lied as a farmers home, another was
the abode of pigs, while the third
was housing a flock Of chickens. Aid
of the Greater Iowa association was
enlisted and a campaign ! started,
which resulted in a statewide move
ment for conversion of the fort site
into a state park.
Fort Atkinson, a village of 235 in
habtants, raised $4,000 toward a
fund for the purchase of the ground
and buildings, and the state board
of conservation was induced to set
aside a like sum. Private subscrip-
tons raised the total amount neces-
sary, and the property was bought
last year.
Further sums have been pledged by
the state, and work on the state park
began the first of April. The original
reservation Of three acres has been
enlarged to about forty acres.
The old buildings will be restored
as nearly as possible to their origi-
nal state and converted into deposit
tories for historical relics and me-
mentos of pioneer days.