Iowa Forts

American Forts: West

IOWA

Last Update: 06/JANUARY/2007

Fort Atkinson (State Preserve)
(1840 - 1849), Fort Atkinson
A 1958 reconstruction of the Officers' quarters, barracks, blockhouse, and powder magazine. Originally named Camp Atkinson, renamed in 1842. The fort was built to control the Winnebago Indians who were sent out of Wisconsin. The fort was abandoned when the Winnebago were moved to Minnesota.

Fort Marin
(1739), near McGregor
A French trading post located opposite the Wisconsin River.

Old Shot Tower
(unknown dates), Dubuque
Located at River and Tower Streets, this is one of only five remaining shot towers left in existence in the United States. The others are in Spring Green, Wisconsin, Columbus, Ohio, Wytheville, Virginia, and Baltimore, Maryland.

Camp Franklin
(1861 - 1863), Peosta
A Civil War training camp located at Lake Peosta. Originally named Camp Union during 1861.

Camp Kirkwood (2)
(1862), Clinton
A Civil War training camp.

Davenport Civil War Camps
(1861 - 1862), Davenport
Camp Herron (1862), located between present-day Farnam Street and Churchill's Addition.
Camp McClellan (1861 - 1865), located on the riverfront at McClellan Park.
Camp Kearny (2) (1863 - 1865), a prison stockade adjacent to Camp McClellan for Sioux Indians captured after the Sioux Uprising in Minnesota.
Camp Roberts (1863 - 1865), located on Duck Creek, renamed Camp Kinsman in 1863, site marked on Eastern Ave. The Iowa Soldiers' Orphans' Home was established here in 1866.
Camp Hendershott (1862 - 1863), between 13th, Locust, Ripley, and Scott Streets.
Camp Joe Holt (1861), located at the old fairgrounds between 13th, Perry, and Rock Island Streets and Northern Ave. (Kirkwood Blvd.).
Camp Black Hawk, a cavalry camp. Undetermined location.

Camp Young
(1916), North Liberty
A state guard mobilization center for the Mexican Border Crisis of 1916.

Iowa City Civil War Camps
(1861), Iowa City
Camp Frémont (1861), located at the old county fairgrounds. Site is now part of the city airport.
Camp Pope (1862), undetermined location.

Camp Strong
(1861), Muscatine
A Civil War training camp located on Muscatine Island.

Camp Harlan
(1861 - 1862), Mt. Pleasant
A Civil War cavalry training camp. Renamed Camp McKean in 1862. The barracks burned down by arson in 1862 or soon after. Site marked by monument.

Burlington Civil War Camps
(1861), Burlington
Civil War training camps Camp Warren (1861), and Camp Lauman (1862). Undetermined locations.

Fort Madison
(1808 - 1813), Fort Madison
A Federal fort and Indian Factory. Also known as Fort Bellevue. Discontinued briefly before being rebuilt in 1813. It was then burned to conceal the soldiers' escape from attacking Sac and Fox Indians. They escaped by digging a tunnel from the blockhouse to the river. The stockaded fort and detached blockhouse have been reconstructed in Riverview Park. The original site nearby was excavated in 1965.

Louis Tesson's Post
(1799), Montrose
A trading post.

Fort Des Moines (1)
(1834 - 1837), Montrose
Originally Camp Des Moines, renamed in 1835. Built to protect and control the Sac and Fox Indians. Site is marked by granite monument.

Keokuk Civil War Camps
(1861 - 1862), Keokuk
Camp Ellsworth (1861), located on 200 acres north of town. This was the first camp set up in the state.
Camp Rankin (1861), replaced by Camp Halleck.
Camp Halleck (1861 - 1862), located at 5th and Johnson Streets.
Camp Lincoln (1862), undetermined location.

Fort Sanford
(1830's - 1843), Cliffland
Originally built by the American Fur Co. on the Des Moines River, but the location was deemed too close to a Choteau Co. fur post on the south side of the river. The US Army took control of the fort in 1842, officially renamed Post at Sac and Fox Indian Agency, to expel squatters from the Indian reservation. Located just south of Ottumwa.

Camp Tuttle
(1862), Oskaloosa
A Civil War training camp.

Fort Plain
(unknown dates), Lacona

Redwood Post
(unknown dates), Des Moines
A North West Co. post on the Raccoon River at the Des Moines River, established by Jean Faribault. It lasted for four years. Also known as Cedar Fort. Possibly sited at Riverside Park.

Fort Des Moines (2)
(1843 - 1846), Des Moines
The proposed name of Fort Raccoon was not approved by the War Department. Built to protect the Sac and Fox Indians before their removal to Missouri. The settlement was nearly destroyed by a great flood in 1851. "Fort" was dropped from the city's name in 1857.

Camp Burnside
(1862), Des Moines
A Civil War training camp.

Camp McKinley
(1898), Des Moines
A Spanish-American War training camp located at the State Fairgrounds.

Fort Des Moines (3) (U.S. Military Reservation)
(1901 - 1946/present), Des Moines
Located four miles south of the city near Southwest 9th Street and Army Post Road. Named in 1903. Initially a cavalry post. In 1917 became an Officers Training School for Black troops. Became a base hospital in 1918. In 1942 became the home training area for the Women's Army Corps (WAC). Still in use today, mostly by Army Reserve and other Federal agencies. Several original brick buildings still exist.

Camp Corse
(1909), near Des Moines
A temporary Army summer encampment. Site probably the same as Camp Dodge (2) (see below).

Camp John A.T. Hull
(1910), near Des Moines
A temporary Army summer encampment for infantry, cavalry, field artillery, and engineers. Site probably the same as Camp Dodge (2) (see below).

Camp Dodge (2) (State Military Reservation)
(1907 - present), Johnston
A National Army cantonment training area and demobilization center for the 88th Division. Previously the site of a state guard summer training area. Most buildings removed in 1921. The National Guard resumed control and built new buildings in the late 1920's, some of which still exist today. Federalized in 1940 for WWII training. Resumed under state control in 1947. Still in use by the state guard.

Fort Dodge
(1850 - 1853, 1862 - 1865), Fort Dodge
Located opposite Lizard Creek. Originally known as Fort Clarke, renamed in 1851. The fort was abandoned in 1853 after Indian troubles died down. Town settled in 1854 around old post. William Williams then bought the old fort and operated a trading post for several years. Reoccupied by troops as Fort Williams (1862 - 1865) during the Civil War. The present museum is a 1964 replica of this second fort. A five-foot boulder with a bronze tablet marks the site of the old fort at First Ave. and North 4th St., and a school occupies the site of the old barracks.

Des Moines River Post
(1838), Emmet County
An American Fur Co. post located between two lakes (location ?) near the West Fork Des Moines River.

1862 Sioux Uprising Defenses

Fort Defiance (State Park)
(1862 - 1864), Estherville
A 132-foot square stockade with barracks and a blockhouse, built by the IA state militia. Renamed Fort Ingham in 1863 by Federal troops. The blockhouse has been reconstructed in the park. The original site of the fort by the river (which has been washed away), is not within the confines of the present state park. Another website at NCN.net.

Iowa Lake Stockade near Armstrong, a civilian stockade.
Peterson Fort Peterson, a civilian timber blockhouse.
Cherokee Blockhouse Cherokee, a civilian timber blockhouse.
Correctionville Stockade Correctionville, a civilian log stockade.

NOTE: There may be several others located throughout the northwestern part of the state.

Big Sioux Post
(1827 ?), near Sioux City
An American Fur Co. trading post on the Big Sioux River.

Fort Purdy
(1857), Denison
A town fort built on John Purdy's property near the courthouse square after the Spirit Lake Massacre, in which 42 settlers were killed by the Sioux.

Council Bluffs Forts
(1824 - 1843), Council Bluffs
Originally here was Council Bluffs Post (1824), a Bernard Pratt and Co. trading post. Hart's Bluff Post (1827) was built by the American Fur Co.. The US Army built a log blockhouse called Council Bluffs Blockhouse (or Camp Kearny (1)) (1837 - 1838), to protect the Pottawattamie Indians from the Sioux. The blockhouse was later used as a mission (1838 - 1841), site marked by stone monument (1971) at East Pierce and Franklin Streets (mission marker at East Pierce and Union Streets) . The Dragoons then built a larger fort in 1842, located at Council Point on the Missouri River, midway between the Boyer River and Mosquito Creek. It was originally named Camp Fenwick, then renamed Fort Croghan. Abandoned for Fort Leavenworth, KS in 1843 after destroyed by floodwaters. This second site is marked by the Mormon Settlement (1846 - 1853) marker located at Council Point, about one-half mile south of South 24th Street and IA 92.
(additional information courtesy of Jeff Barnes)

Camp Kirkwood (1)
(1861), Council Bluffs
A Civil War training camp located north of Mosquito Creek.
Camp Dodge (1) (1860's) was just south of here.

Camp Disappointment
(1861), Clarinda
A temporary camp established to counter a possible Confederate invasion from Missouri. Also known as Camp No. 4. Renamed after learning that the invasion fizzled. Marching south from Camp Kirkwood (1) in Council Bluffs, Camp No. 1 was set up on Brush Creek in Fremont County, Camp No. 2 was set up near Sidney, and Camp No. 3 was set up 25 miles east of Sidney.