Fort Crawford

 Fort Crawford holds a significant place in the history of the Upper Mississippi River Valley, evolving through two distinct locations and playing crucial roles in westward expansion, Native American relations, and even medical innovation.   

First Fort Crawford (Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin - 1816-1830s)

The first Fort Crawford was established in 1816 at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, shortly after the War of 1812. Its primary purposes were:  

• Establishing American Authority: To assert U.S. control over the strategic confluence of the Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers, an area with a long history of French and British influence and significant Native American presence.
• Protecting Fur Trade: To provide a measure of security for the American fur trade interests in the region, which were increasingly competing with British traders.
• Maintaining Peace with Native American Tribes: To serve as a point of contact and negotiation with the various Native American tribes in the area, including the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago), Dakota (Sioux), Sauk, and Fox.

Life at the first Fort Crawford was often challenging. It was a remote outpost with harsh winters, limited supplies, and the constant potential for conflict with Native American tribes. Notable figures associated with this period include:  

• Colonel Talbot Chambers: He oversaw the initial construction of the fort.
• Major Stephen H. Long: A prominent explorer and engineer, Long was stationed at Fort Crawford and conducted expeditions in the surrounding territory.  
• Colonel Josiah Snelling: He also served as commander and played a role in early interactions with Native American tribes.
• Dr. William Beaumont: Perhaps the most famous figure associated with the first Fort Crawford, Dr. Beaumont was an army surgeon stationed there. It was at Fort Crawford that he began his groundbreaking studies on human digestion through his patient Alexis St. Martin, who had suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach. Beaumont's meticulous observations and experiments at Fort Crawford laid the foundation for our understanding of gastric physiology.

The first Fort Crawford played a role in several significant events, including treaties with Native American tribes aimed at securing land and maintaining peace. However, the low-lying location of the fort made it susceptible to flooding, and concerns about its healthfulness led to the construction of a new fort on higher ground.

Second Fort Crawford (Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin - 1830s-1856)

Construction on the second Fort Crawford, located on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River, began in the late 1820s, and the garrison moved into the new facility in the 1830s. This new fort was built with more substantial stone architecture and offered better defenses and living conditions. Its continued purposes included:

• Maintaining Peace on the Frontier: As westward expansion continued, Fort Crawford remained a key military post for mediating disputes and preventing large-scale conflicts between settlers and Native American tribes.
• Enforcing Treaties: The fort served as a base for enforcing treaties signed with various tribes and overseeing land cessions.
• Supporting Westward Movement: It provided a sense of security for settlers moving into the region.

Notable figures associated with the second Fort Crawford include:

• Jefferson Davis: Before his prominent role in the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis served as a lieutenant and later as the post commander at Fort Crawford in the 1830s. It was here that he met and married Sarah Knox Taylor, the daughter of future President Zachary Taylor.
• Zachary Taylor: He also served as the commander of Fort Crawford at various times before his rise to national prominence as a general and later as President of the United States.
• Henry Atkinson: A brigadier general, Atkinson oversaw military affairs in the region, including the activities at Fort Crawford.

The second Fort Crawford witnessed the Black Hawk War of 1832, although the major military actions took place elsewhere. The fort served as a staging area and provided refuge during the conflict. As westward expansion progressed and the frontier moved further west, the strategic importance of Fort Crawford gradually diminished. The fort was eventually decommissioned in 1856.

Legacy Today

Today, the site of the second Fort Crawford in Prairie du Chien is preserved as a historical landmark and museum. Visitors can explore the well-preserved stone buildings and learn about the fort's significant role in American history, including its military importance, its impact on Native American relations, and the groundbreaking medical discoveries made there by Dr. William Beaumont. The site offers a valuable glimpse into the challenges and transformations of the American frontier in the 19th century.

Dr. William Beaumont's Groundbreaking Research

The association of Dr. William Beaumont with the first Fort Crawford is arguably its most unique and significant contribution to history. His work there revolutionized our understanding of human digestion:

• The Accidental Experiment: In 1822, Alexis St. Martin, a French-Canadian fur trader, suffered a severe gunshot wound to his abdomen that left a permanent fistula (a hole) leading directly into his stomach. Dr. Beaumont, the post surgeon, treated St. Martin, who miraculously survived despite the severity of the injury.
• Unprecedented Opportunity: Beaumont recognized the extraordinary opportunity to observe the digestive process in a living human. Over the next decade, with St. Martin's cooperation (sometimes grudgingly), Beaumont conducted a series of meticulous experiments.
• Key Discoveries: Through direct observation and the extraction of gastric juices, Beaumont was able to:
  • Demonstrate that digestion is a chemical process, not just a mechanical one.
  • Identify hydrochloric acid as a key component of gastric juice.
  • Study the effects of different foods on digestion in the stomach.
  • Observe the churning motions of the stomach walls.
  • Determine the time it took for various foods to digest.
• Legacy: Beaumont's "Experiments and Observations on the Gastric Juice and the Physiology of Digestion," published in 1833, became a landmark work in the field of physiology. His pioneering research at Fort Crawford laid the foundation for modern gastroenterology. The fort, therefore, is not just a site of military and frontier history but also a significant location in the history of medicine.

Jefferson Davis and Zachary Taylor at Fort Crawford

The presence of future President Jefferson Davis and his father-in-law, President Zachary Taylor, at Fort Crawford adds another layer of historical interest:

• Early Military Careers: Both men served in the U.S. Army and were stationed at Fort Crawford during important formative periods of their careers. Their experiences on the frontier and their interactions with Native American tribes would have shaped their perspectives.
• Personal Connections: Jefferson Davis's marriage to Sarah Knox Taylor at Fort Crawford in 1835 (despite her father's initial disapproval) highlights the personal lives and relationships that unfolded even in remote military outposts. This connection links the fort to the families of two future presidents.
• Different Paths: While both served at Fort Crawford, their later careers took vastly different trajectories, with Taylor becoming a national hero and president, and Davis leading the Confederacy during the Civil War. Their time at this frontier fort offers a glimpse into their earlier lives before their divergent paths.

Native American Relations and Treaties

Fort Crawford played a complex role in the interactions between the U.S. government and the various Native American tribes of the Upper Mississippi Valley:

• Treaty Negotiations: The fort served as a site for negotiating treaties, often involving land cessions and promises of peace. These treaties were frequently fraught with misunderstandings and ultimately led to the displacement of Native American populations.
• Maintaining a Military Presence: The presence of the fort and its garrison served as a constant reminder of U.S. power and influence, which could be both a deterrent to conflict and a source of resentment among the tribes.
• Cultural Exchange (Limited): While primarily a military post, there would have been some level of interaction and exchange between soldiers, traders, and Native Americans, though often marked by power imbalances.

The Architecture of the Second Fort Crawford

The stone architecture of the second Fort Crawford reflects a more permanent and substantial commitment to the site compared to the earlier wooden structures. The well-preserved buildings offer insights into 19th-century military architecture and the living conditions of soldiers on the frontier. The use of local materials and the design of the barracks, officers' quarters, and other structures speak to the logistical challenges and the needs of a frontier military post.

The Site Today as a Museum

The preservation of the second Fort Crawford as a museum is crucial for educating the public about this important period in American history. The exhibits and guided tours often highlight:

• Military Life on the Frontier: Providing a glimpse into the daily routines, challenges, and social dynamics of soldiers stationed at a remote outpost.
• Native American History: Presenting the perspectives and experiences of the various tribes who interacted with the fort and whose lives were significantly impacted by its presence and the policies it represented.
• Dr. Beaumont's Medical Breakthroughs: Commemorating his groundbreaking research and its lasting impact on science and medicine.
• The Broader Context of Westward Expansion: Connecting the story of Fort Crawford to the larger narrative of American expansion, government policies towards Native Americans, and the development of the Upper Midwest.

Visiting Fort Crawford today offers a tangible connection to the past, allowing one to walk the grounds where significant historical and scientific events unfolded. It serves as a reminder of the diverse and often complex stories that shaped the American landscape.

The Role of Women at Fort Crawford

While primarily a male military post, women played significant, though often less documented, roles at Fort Crawford:

• Officers' Wives and Families: The wives and children of officers often accompanied them to the fort. Their presence brought a degree of social life and domesticity to the isolated outpost. They faced the same hardships as the men, including harsh living conditions, disease, and the constant awareness of potential danger. Sarah Knox Taylor's time at Fort Crawford before her marriage to Jefferson Davis is a notable example.
• Enlisted Men's Families: While less common, some enlisted men were also allowed to have their families with them, often performing essential domestic tasks and contributing to the fort's community.
• Native American Women: Interactions between the fort's inhabitants and local Native American tribes would have inevitably involved women, whether through trade, diplomacy, or personal relationships. Their perspectives and experiences are often marginalized in historical accounts but are crucial for a complete understanding.
• Domestic Labor: Women, both within the military families and potentially hired locally, would have been responsible for cooking, cleaning, laundry, and caring for the sick, essential tasks for the functioning of the fort.

The Economic Impact of Fort Crawford

The presence of a military installation like Fort Crawford had a significant economic impact on the surrounding region:

• Demand for Goods and Services: The fort created a demand for food, supplies, building materials, and various services, which local farmers, traders, and artisans could fulfill. This stimulated the local economy.
• Trade with Native American Tribes: The fort served as a point of contact for trade with Native American tribes, facilitating the exchange of goods and influencing economic relationships in the region.
• Infrastructure Development: The need to supply the fort often led to the development of roads and river transportation routes, which also benefited civilian settlement and trade.
• Government Spending: The federal government's investment in building and maintaining the fort injected significant funds into the local economy.

The Social Life at a Frontier Outpost

Despite the isolation and potential dangers, social life did exist at Fort Crawford:

• Military Hierarchy and Social Interactions: The rigid military hierarchy shaped social interactions within the fort. Officers and their families often formed a distinct social circle.
• Entertainment and Recreation: Soldiers and their families would have found ways to entertain themselves, perhaps through music, games, storytelling, and occasional social gatherings.
• Interactions with the Civilian Community: As Prairie du Chien grew, interactions between the fort's inhabitants and the civilian community would have increased.
• Cultural Exchange (Limited): Encounters with Native American visitors, while sometimes tense, could also lead to limited forms of cultural exchange.

The Decommissioning and Preservation

The decision to decommission Fort Crawford in 1856 reflected the changing frontier and the shifting military needs of the United States. The westward movement of settlers and the establishment of new military posts further west reduced its strategic importance in the Upper Mississippi Valley.

The subsequent preservation of the second Fort Crawford as a historical site is a testament to its enduring significance. The efforts to maintain the buildings and interpret the history of the fort ensure that future generations can learn about its multifaceted past, encompassing military history, Native American relations, medical science, and the lives of the diverse individuals who were part of its story.

By considering these additional layers, we gain a richer and more human-centered understanding of Fort Crawford's place in American history. It wasn't just a military post; it was a community, a site of scientific breakthrough, and a focal point for the complex interactions that defined the American frontier.