|
HISTORY
Soldiers arrived on May 10, 1816 and commenced construction of
Fort Armstrong on the west end of Rock Island. (Wickstrom
36) It was only the second fort between St. Louis and Prairie du Chien,
Wisconsin at the time. The fort was named after the Secretary of War under
President James Madison, John Armstrong. When construction began there were 600
soldiers and 150 laborers. After the construction was completed less than 200
soldiers garrisoned the post. Between 1824 and 1836 the garrison consisted of
less than 100 troops. (Slattery
23) Besides providing a U. S. military presence to discourage encroachment
by the English and French fur traders, Fort Armstrong also provided protection
for settlers, and attempted to police intertribal feuds amongst the Indians of
the area. (Slattery
28-29)
McDevitt Playhouses was asked to replicate this particular
Fort for a little boy. The outcome is the above photograph. The other
photographs are of the original Fort Armstrong, which still stands in Rock
Island, Illinois. The replica is very close in what the original design is.
JCTPLAYHOUSES
JCT Playhouses
23739 HWY 64 E.
Maquoketa, Iowa 52060
1-563-652-9770
|
)
)
)