Abandoned Nineteenth-Century Fort in Iowa: Fort Atkinson

A bit north of 42N country, near Decorah and Spillville, Iowa is a bluff that overlooks a river. Here (43.14 N, 91.93 W) in 1840 the feds built a fort to house a garrison of a couple hundred troops needed to patrol the newly created neutral ground (not the neutral zone for all you trekkies) between displaced Winnebago natives (from Wisconsin) and their traditional native enemies. After Fort Atkinsonwas abandoned a small town was established named after the fort. Recently the 42N staff made a quick visit noting to return another time.

During its offical service the fort saw no armed fights take place either here or in the vicinity.

Fort Atkinson received its orders from Fort Crawford at Prairie du Chien, WI, 50 miles away. In 1849 the garrison was ordered to serve in the Mexican-American War and the fort was abandoned. Today in a building on the northern wall of the fort a museum store is now housed.

The State reclaimed the fort in the 20th century and has transformed it into a preserve. Re-enactment actors periodically camp here and help visitors understand the time period and mission of the Iowa 1st dragoons.

In the fort's powder room interior square air vents where offset aligned with exterior wall vents to keep the powder dry and to prevent any sparks causing direct ignition. Bathroom privies were located a few feet away from this door.

Outside the walls of the fort immediately to the north were stables, housing for married men's family who often followed their spouse, a blacksmith shop and farms. Located about a mile northwest of the fort was a cemetery.

Periodically the site's ground is probed to learn how its inhabitants lived. Pottery, clay pipes, glass bottles, imported china, game pieces and small musical instruments have been found along with a few military items.


If you are looking for forts where fighting took place check out other sites around the country. So far there have been no reported battles at or near the Fort Atkinson.

The Longest Day: D-Day Plus 66 Years

Operation Overlord commenced on June 6, 1944 as Allied forces came ashore in Normandy, France, against Hitler’s Fortress Europe. In 2010 debate still exists over the invasion’s casualty figures with no official number or list available. One estimate is that more than 425,000 Allied and German troops were killed, wounded, or went missing during the battle including more than 209,000 Allied casualties. Roughly 200,000 German troops killed or wounded, the Allies also captured 200,000 soldiers. French civilian casualties during the Battle of Normandy are estimated to be between 15,000 and 20,000.

Today the site of one of the fiercest fights of the invasion, Pointe Du Hoc is under attack of a different kind. The bluff itself is suffering from natural erosion and the stress of up to 500,000 visitors a year. Preservation efforts are currently underway to shore up the bluff and save it for generations.

Pointe Du Hoc is a cliff rising west of Normandy’s Omaha beach. American Ranger soldiers under tremendous enemy fire landed on the beach, scaled the cliffs and eventually took out the Nazi howitzers aimed at the landing area.

The price the Rangers paid was steep - the contribution they made to take down tyranny was great. President Ronald Reagan knew how to say it best. Read his 1984 speech on the 40th anniversary ceremony here or watch a composite video here. Know that.

Fairfax, Iowa Celebrates USA's 233 Years of Freedom. Recalls Ronald Reagan Visit.

Independence Day 2009 is celebrated in many ways throughout the USA from parades to speeches to family gatherings and of course fireworks. One of the traditions around 42N country is the display of American flags. This arrangement of Old Glory is located at Saint Patrick's Cemetery (41.895N, 91.794W) near Fairfax, Iowa.

Twenty-five years ago, then President Reagan spoke at the Fairfax Saint Patrick's Catholic Church located a couple of miles north of this cemetery. Below are his concluding remarks from that day, September 20, 1984. The Great Communicator knew his audience. His full speech can be found here. Know that.

"How many of you weren't at the [Cedar Rapids] airport rally today? Then, I'm going to tell you. Those who were there are going to have to hear something again. I hadn't told it, I just thought about it for the first time in many, many years, a little personal experience I had in 1948. I'd gone to England to make a picture called ``The Hasty Heart.'' And on the weekends, never having been there before, I'd hire a driver and a car and have him show me the countryside outside of London. And -- --

[At this point, the President was briefly interrupted by a train whistle.]

Quiet! [Laughter]

Is that his campaign train? [Laughter]

But he stopped one evening, as the Sun was going down on one of those weekends, a pub that he said was 400 years old. And we went in, and a matronly woman, a very nice lady, was serving us. And down, some tables down, was an elderly gentleman, and he was -- they were the only two, evidently, running this place.

And when she heard us talk for awhile, she said, ``You're Americans, aren't you?'' And I said, ``Yes, we are.'' And then she said, ``Oh, there were a great number of your chaps stationed just down the road from here during the war.'' And she said, ``They used to come in every evening, and they'd have a songfest.'' And she said, ``They called me `Mom' and they called the old man `Pop'.''

And by this time, she's not looking at me anymore. She's looking kind of out into the distance with memory, and there's a tear on her cheek. She said, ``It was a Christmas Eve. We were here all alone.'' And she said, ``The door burst open and in they come, and they had presents for us.'' And then she said -- and this is why I'm telling you the story -- she said, ``Big strapping lads they was, from a place called Iowa.'' [Laughter] And then I had a tear on my cheek.

Well, I thank you so much for your very wonderful hospitality and for the warmth and kindness that comes so naturally to Iowans. And I want you to know that I enjoyed both the beef and the pork for lunch. [Laughter] No argument about that.

Thank you all, and God bless you."

President Ronald Reagan
Remarks at a Community Picnic
Fairfax, Iowa
September 20, 1984

Note: The President spoke at 12:15 p.m. on the lawn of St. Patrick's Catholic Church. Following his remarks, the President traveled to Grand Rapids, MI.