The Coolidge examiner., 1934-09-07

~@ - half a million dollars. is now
complete. For one of the high.
lights OF the celebration will be the unvelIIng al
the fort % new monument 20 the Rush. Bagot
treaty under which the Canadlan-American iron.
eer OF 3.oco miles has remained BnfortiHed for
lls years. Thus In n period of world unrest. Of
smoldering hatreds and suspicious and OF IN
ercaslng armAmenix both on land and sea. this
monument viii stand as a symbol Of the fact
that two nations can live in amlty side by side
without having a boundary line brisiiinE with
concrete and steel for either defensive or often
sive purposes
II is especially appropriate that such q monu-
ment should be erected ~ Fort Niagara. for it
was focal point for nearly 15o years OF almost
endless conflict. hrst between the French and the
British. later between the British and the Amer
leans and In both cases with Indian allies play
ing secondary but nonetheleSs important part
Then after this century and a half of warfare
came the century OF peace that still prevAIlS
old Fort Niagara Is not only one Of the most
historic posts on American soil but In one re
spect IL Is unique. As a part OF the modern Fort
Niagara military reservation. II IL the only
United States army post over which ny foreign
nagx II has two OF these which memorabilia
the nations and the periods In history during
which they held this pos;-the triple heur de lis
OF Louis XIV and Great Britain's Union Jack OF
1850 with It's two crosses Above and between
these two flags Is the Star spangied Banner
tut II Ia one that seems strangely unfamiliar 10
Americans OF today who visit the fort. For IL
has IS stars and IS stripes, the reason being
that II II the American Gag OF iTp5 when there
were only Is states In the Union
The history OF For, Niagara goes back to 1878
when the French explorer. Ia Sale. realizing
the strategic value Of fort where the Niagara
river flows into Lake Ontario 10 control this
gateway 10 the West, built there a crude wooden
fertilization 10 which he gave the name OF Fort
Cont Like bis ship. the Grifron. the fort was
burned within year after It's building through
the negligence or treachery OF the sergeant and
the men whom Ia Sale left In charge.
decade later the struggle between France
and Great Britain for mastery OF the fur trade
and control OF the interior OF North America was
under way and In 1857 the Marquis de NonviIle
governor-general OF New France. reported that
"the fur trade viii be lost y the English occupy
Niagara" SO he asked re French government
for two good battalions and the funds necessary
10 sustain the movemlnt and occupy the post"
These were supplied him and within three days
there rose a timber siockade with four bastlons
which bore the Official name Of Fort De NonvIlle
but which was commonly called Fort Niagara
name that has persisted 20 this day.
Fort De NonyIlle was destined 20 have the
same fate as Fort Cont Garrisoned by 100 men,
all but Il OF them fell victims 10 the rigors OF
winter and the ravages OF the scurvy, so that
the fort was abandoned after IL months Moth
ing more was done toward holding possession OF
this vitality important spot until 1924 when the
Marquis de yaudreull. then goyernor-g general OF
New France. alarmed by the threat OF the Brit
ish tradiRg post at oswego. decided to build an
other fort at Niagara. Submitting his plans to
Louis XIV. vaudreuIl did not wait for the kings
approval before beginning operations. Even more
important than the French kings sanction OF
the project was that OF the IroquoIs Indians
the powerful Five Nations who held the balance
OF power between their French and English
neghbors. They were none too friendly toward
the French because OF various armed clashes In
the past and they were pretty likely to look
with suspicion upon the establishment OF a per-
manent post on their lands.
Fortunately for vaudreuil, a French trader
named Louis de JoncaIre. who had been adopted
into the Seneca tribe OF the Five Nations, had a
trading post at the foot OF Niagara gorge and
the governor-general made use OF Joncaire to
accomplish his purpose. Various stories have
been told OF how the French tricked the Iroquois
into giving their consent TO the building OF a
fort at Niagara, but the more belevable one Is
that II was accomplished through Joncaire who
asked and obtained permission from the Indians
TO substitute stone mouse" Tor MS trading
shed OF bark and logs.
Under a broad Interpretation OF the permis-
sion given 10 Joncalre, the French transferred
the site OF the post from the foot OF the gorge
10 the bluf at the mouth OF the river overlooking
lake Ontario. but they scrSpulously observed
the letter of the agreement By building "stone
house"-the plain. straight-walled. rectangular
structure later called The Castle which stands
there today. The plans for IL were drawn by
the French engineer Chaussegras de Lery, who