In 1816 just after the War of 1812, the Americans felt that a fort at Prairie du Chien was essential. So Fort Crawford, named for William H. Crawford, Secretary of War, was built on the site of the former Fort Shelby on the mound where the Villa Louis stands today.

Constructed of logs it was vulnerable to frequent spring flooding along the Mississippi. It was flooded during construction in 1816. Again in 1821, 1822 and in 1826 the fort withstood floods. The flood of 1826 was especially bad leaving the fort beyond repair and in September 1826 the US abandoned the fort. Prairie du Chien was unprotected and anxious.

After the Red Bird Incident in June of 1827, the army sent back some troops to protect the local citizens. In 1828 the fort was flooded twice. When Dr. William Beaumont reported for duty in August 1828, he faced a constant and severe onslaught of intermittent fever or malaria. He saw 20-30 patients a day; the whole garrison was affected.

It was decision time, to abandon the fort and Prairie du Chien or to relocate. In the spring of 1829 the commanding officer received permission to buy land on high ground in the lower part of Prairie du Chien.

Important Events Occurred at First Fort

Despite the problems caused by the flooding, important events occurred at the first fort. Thousands gathered on the banks of the Mississippi for three major Indian treaties in 1825, 1829 and 1830. Nicholas Boilvin, the Indian agent here was an important presence until he was killed in a river accident in 1827 near St. Louis.

Fort Crawford was the location of at least two examples of harsh military justice. The gallows
were constructed in 1828 to hang the shooter of Lt. John McKenzie and again in 1830 to punish Sgt. Coffin's murderer. The tragic and compelling story of Red Bird played out in this area; he was imprisoned and died at First Fort Crawford.

Willoughby Morgan commanded Fort Crawford five times; as captain in 1816 when it was constructed; in 1818 as major; in 1822 and 1826 at Lt. Colonel. In 1830 Colonel Morgan was called back to replace Colonel Zachary Taylor while on personal leave. Colonel Morgan died at 2nd Fort just before the Black Hawk War in April 1832 and was buried in the Fort Crawford Cemetery.

The events with most lasting significance that occurred at 1st Fort were the 56 experiments that Dr. William Beaumont did with Alexis St. Martin during the winters of 1829-30 and 1830-31. His research revolutionized the medical understanding of digestion. [444]

Construction Difficulties

The construction of the 2nd Fort Crawford was plagued with problems. The war department was not convinced a fort was needed in Prairie du Chien but reluctantly gave permission to buy the land in 1829. Progress was slow. They wanted a rock fort that would withstand the elements. Procuring and transporting the rock and timber for the fort was challenging. At first they had no experienced masons and other construction workers. Finally, several came from St. Louis. Naturally the business of the fort took precedence over construction. Indian Treaties distracted during the summers of 1829 and 1830. In 1831 almost the entire command was sent to Rock Island in an overwhelming show of force to Black Hawk. He agreed to go into Iowa to live permanently; they thought they had seen the last of him.

The Black Hawk War of 1832

In early April 1832 Black Hawk crossed east of the Mississippi and the tragic 4-month Black Hawk War began. Fort commander, Colonel Willoughby Morgan, died two days before the start of the war. Colonel Taylor was recalled to command, but he spent the entire war in the field. Very few soldiers remained at Fort Crawford. Although not in the heart of the battle area, Fort Crawford played an important supporting role in the war. On August 27, 1832 Black Hawk surrendered to Colonel Taylor at the 2nd Fort. After a few days of imprisonment here, Lt. Jefferson Davis was assigned to accompany him by steamboat to Jefferson Barracks in St. Louis.

The Close of the Fort

In the 1840's Fort Crawford was involved with the removal of the Winnebago from this area, but the frontier had moved faster than anyone predicted. Fort Crawford closed in 1856 and the last US troops left.

And then the fracas began locally. There were lawsuits and wholesale looting of the property by local citizens. The fort was used during the Civil War as a recruiting center and as a hospital housing some wounded soldiers. During the growth of modern Prairie du Chien, the housing supply was short, and young families lived in the fort for a time. A school was conducted there for a term or two. John Lawler bought most of the fort proper, donated a block for Catholic girls' school, and used the other part as his estate. Walls of ruins remained into the early 1900's and were favorite tourist attractions. [407]