Fort Dearborn (Chicago, Illinois)
Chicago · Illinois · War of 1812
History & Significance
Commissioned after the Northwest Indian War and the 1795 Treaty of Greenville, Fort Dearborn was built on 6 square miles ceded to the United States and centered on the mouth of the Chicago River. The fort was the U.S. Army's westernmost outpost in the early 19th century and marked the first major investment on new federal land in the region.
Completed by summer 1804, it was a log-built fort enclosed in a double stockade with two blockhouses. Fur trader John Kinzie arrived in 1804 and became the civilian leader of the settlement that grew around the fort.
On August 15, 1812, Potawatomi Native Americans engaged U.S. troops, militia, and Miami auxiliaries in what became known as the Battle of Fort Dearborn. American casualties numbered 26 regulars, all 12 militia, two women, and twelve children killed, with others taken prisoner.
The fort was burned to the ground. A replacement fort was constructed in 1816 and decommissioned by 1837.
In 1855, part of the fort was demolished for Chicago River dredging, and in 1857 a fire destroyed nearly all remaining buildings. The fort's forested reserve was deeded to the city in 1837, and the land became the Loop and Grant Park. The site is now a Chicago Landmark in the Michigan–Wacker Historic District at the southern end of the DuSable Michigan Avenue Bridge.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Commemorative plaques and embedded street markers marking the 1803 fort site on the Chicago River
- Historic location of the 1812 Battle of Fort Dearborn during the War of 1812
- Chicago Landmark designation honoring early American military settlement
- Urban riverfront location in downtown Chicago
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Dearborn
- https://www.battlefields.org/visit/heritage-sites/fort-dearborn
- https://www.architecture.org/online-resources/architecture-encyclopedia/fort-dearborn
- https://webapps1.chicago.gov/landmarksweb/web/landmarkdetails.htm?lanId=1307
- https://dnrhistoric.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/dnrhistoric/research/documents/vol4n2chicagopp.pdf
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Dearborn
- https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/battle-fort-dearborn-park