Fort Howard (Green Bay, Wisconsin)
Green Bay · Wisconsin · War of 1812
History & Significance
Fort Howard was built at the site of the earlier French Fort La Baye and the British Fort Edward Augustus (1761). On August 7, 1816, American soldiers sailed into the mouth of the Fox River; Major Charles Gratiot selected the location as the optimal site for the new fort.
Colonel Talbot Chambers served as the first commander with a garrison of two companies of rifle troops, two companies of the Third Infantry, and an artillery detachment. Major Zachary Taylor arrived in spring 1817 and the fort became known for fine hospitality and served as the center of social life for the surrounding settlement.
A malaria outbreak in 1820 forced the garrison to relocate temporarily to Camp Smith on higher ground; the fort was reoccupied two years later. Fort personnel administered government, protected commerce, negotiated treaties with Indian nations, and constructed Wisconsin's military roads.
The garrison was called out during the Red Bird uprising (1827) and the Black Hawk War (1832). Abandoned again in 1841 during the Seminole Wars, the fort was officially decommissioned in 1853. Several structures were moved to Heritage Hill State Historical Park; the hospital, hospital ward, and officers' quarters are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- War of 1812-era fortification protecting Fox-Wisconsin Waterway trade route
- Historic structures relocated to Heritage Hill State Historical Park
- Site of earlier French fort, commanded by future President Zachary Taylor
- West bank of Fox River in Green Bay
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Howard_(Wisconsin)
- https://heritagehillgb.org/discover/fort-howard/
- https://ss.sites.mtu.edu/mhugl/2015/10/11/fort-howard/
- https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Article/CS392
- https://www.achp.gov/preserve-america/community/green-bay-wisconsin
- https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/dictionaries-thesauruses-pictures-and-press-releases/howard-fort
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=43816