Fort Dearborn II
Life Span: 1816-1856 (Troops removed to Green Bay, May, 1831)
Location: Mouth of Chicago River
Architect:
Chicago Magazine, May 15, 1857
The same year in which the Indian title to the territory about Chicago, (in addition to the tract of six miles square ceded by the treaty of 1795,) and extending to the Illinois river, was extinguished, the troops returned again to this locality, and the new fort was erected. This re-ocupation, took place July 1, 1816, near four years after its destruction at the time of the massacre. Capt. Hezekiah Bradley was the commander. Under his direction the fort was erected. It stood upon the same ground as the fort of 1804, which had been burnt by the Indians. It was the same venerable structure, that has stood until recently the only special object of antiquarian interest, of which Chicago could boast. Most of the citizens of Chicago, from the time of their first appearance on this theatre, up to within three or four vears past, were of course familiar with old Fort Dearborn. It is not long ago, since all the ground east of State street, known as the Reservation, was an open common, occupied by the buildings at the Fort and the light house, and a few “old settler residences”-and we all know what a distinguished mark was the old Fort. But the progress of improvement and the extension of business, swept the old relies away-and it was only as late as the summer of 1856, that the principal part of the buildings, including the quarters of the officers, and the barracks of the soldiers, were torn down; and the block house, the most attractive object of all, within a few weeks has been completely demolished.
It is to be regretted that there was not enough of interest, in this relic of by-gone times; to have preserved it for future generations, as a specimen of Chicago antiquity. The re-occupation of the fort by the troops, commencing July 4th, 1816, was continued until May 1823, when the troops left, and the fort was occupied by the Indian agent, and used for the temporary accommodation of families of residents recently arrived. Capt. Bradley, was the commander during this occupation by the troops.-During the time of this first occupancy, Capt. Bradley caused some factory buildings to be erected outside of the palisades, near the lake shore on the south side of the fort. Soon after, one of these buildings came into the possession of Dear, an army contractor, who sold out in 1817, to the American Fur Company, of whom it was purchased by John Baptiste Beaubien, who continued from that time on, the occupant of the dwelling, and the premises, which comprised a garden and enclosure, till the year 1836, thus laying the basis for the pre-emption claim, which for considerable time. occupied the attention of the courts, and commanded the interest of the public. On the 10th of August, 1828, the fort was again occupied by a company of volunteer troops who had been drawn hither by the Indian disturbances among the Winnebagoes of the Rock River country, which for a time threatened the re-enactment of another Indian massacre. Afterwards there were two companies of regular troops stationed here, under the command of Major Fowle, and Capt. Scott. In the absence of these officers the command devolved upon Lieut. Hunter. Lieut. Furman of one of the companies, died at this station in 1830. There were also young officers, Lieuts. Engle and Foster, during this time of occupancy. Dr. Finley, was the Surgeon, assisted by Dr. Harmon. The troops remained here till May 1831, when it was again evacuated by the removal of the troops to Green Bay, and left in possession of Geo. W. Dole, as agent for the government, who afterwards delegated his charge to John Kinzie, sub-agent.
Again on the breaking out of the Sauk, (Black Hawk) war, in 1832, it was re-occupied, and by a detachment under the command of Gen. Scott, and its occupancy continued till the removal of the Indians in 1836; and afterwards until quite recently was held by the government, for the occasional use of its army officers, engineers, and agents connected with the public works.
Chicago Magazine, May, 1857
The Indian Agency, established here with the rebuilding of the fort, was placed under the charge of Charles Jewett, Esq., of Kentucky. He was succeeded in 1820, by Dr. Alexander Wolcott, of Connecticut, son-in-law of Mr. Kinzie, Who filled the place till his death; Joan Kinzie acting as sub-agent; and his successor was supplied, by the appointment of Col. Thomas J. V. Owen; Gholson Kercheval, acting as sub-agent until the arrival of Col. Owen, the next season. The agency was established in the log house, on the north side, near where now is the east end of the freight house of the Chicago and Galena Union Railroad Company, and was familiarly known as ” Cob-Web Castle.”
The progress of improvement and settlement which may properly be said to have began with the erection of the second fert, may be indicated by the number of buildings and the people who occupied them, from this period forward, until a more stable order of things prevailed. From 1816, to 1830, Chicago had gained the number of twelve or fifteen houses, and a population of less than one hundred, including three residences now within the limits of Chicago, and which at that time were considered as rather “outsiders.”
We now approach the period in our city, when circumstances began to form themselves into the order of events, which have developed Chicago as the central city of the West. It is interesting to trace its course from its minutest beginnings. We shall endeavor to do this as we proceed, in a running picture, a panorama of its progress. Our picture will not therefore be exclusively sketches of its most important events, but will be filled up by a multitude of small incidents, which will be valuable only as the back ground of other important matters, which are more vividly impressed from the strong contrasts presented. Perhaps no view more interesting to our citizens could be presented, than a picture of the landscape on which Chicago is built, as it was in 1818, or any year up to 1830, for little change took place during that time. There are persons among us who remember Chicago as it appeared, when only a few huts and cabins marked the incipient town and city. From the description given to us by several of the oldest inhabitants, who are now permanent residents among us, we have that view of Chicago in our mind, and we can present it, in the only way possible for it to be painted, on the printed page of this history.
- Fort Dearborn
Daguerreotype by Alexander Hesler
1856
- Wood cut from a photo taken in 1855 by Alex. Hesler, from the U. S. Marine Hospital, looking north-west, correctly represents two of the principal buildings of the Fort—the Commandant’s Quarters, Ⓐ (brick, about 25×50 ft.), and the Officers’ Quarters, Ⓑ (wood, about 30×60 ft,), occupying the north-west corner of the enclosure. Ⓒ is the parade-ground (80×200 ft.); Ⓓ is the Sutler’s; Ⓔ is the north gate. The figure in the foreground is J. D. Graham, U. S. Engineer, in charge of Govt. Works, and residing in the Fort, and to his right, Mr. and Mrs. John H. Kinzie. The vessel in the river in the right is the brig Maria Hillard. The Rush-St. Ferry was used to cross the river here, and landed on the South-side at a point, indicated in this view, under the west chimney of the Commandant’s quarters; the direction of the ferry from this point to the North-side was nearly north-west; width of the channel, 225 feet.
Chicago Tribune, March 27, 1856
We invite attention to the notice for proposals for the purchase of Government buildings at old Fort Dearborn. On Monday, the 31st instant, at noon, the time allowed for bids will end. We may expect the work to be commenced very soon, of excavating the Fort Dearborn grounds, in order to cut off the bend in Chicago river, for the improvement of the navigation.
Chicago Magazine, March, 1857
- Mouth of Chicago River
February 24, 1830
- Fort Dearborn
City of Chicago
Surveyed and Published by Henry Hart, Civil Engineer and Architect, New York
1853
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