Fort Abercrombie

Fort Abercrombie is the first permanent military post in what was then Dakota Territory (USA) and was also known as the Gateway to the Dakotas ( Gateway to the Dakotas ). It was founded on August 28, 1858 by Lieutenant Colonel John Joseph Abercrombie and named after him. Since the division of the Dakota Territory in the two U.S. states of North and South Dakota on November 2, 1889, the Fort located in North Dakota, at the border to Minnesota, the Red River of the North. The task of continuing occupation was to protect the pervading wagon trains on the Red River trails and the steamboats on the Red River. In addition, in Fort goods were deposited for the treks.

History

In the first two years, Fort Abercrombie was repeated after snowmelt floods affected and had to be re- built in 1860 on a higher ground.

1861 broke out, the American Civil War. A large part of the regular complement of the fort was removed and partially replaced by volunteer units.

1862 brought the Dakota Indians and attacked farms and forts of Americans. The Dakota lived since 1851 on an Indian reservation in Minnesota and were of U.S. payments dependent, since their territory to self-sufficiency was not sufficient. Due to the corruption in the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the competent authority for the Indians, the payments were made ​​often. After a bad harvest, 1862 pricked the situation for the Dakota too massive. From Insurgency and Fort Abercrombie was affected. It was besieged for six weeks by Dakota warriors. Ultimately, the U.S. soldiers were able to knock down the siege.

Until 1877 the area was pacified to the fort, the fort was no longer needed and was abandoned. The blockhouses of the fort rotten. 1904 was only the guardhouse. It was declared a State Historic Site, has since been listed and can be visited by travelers. 1939/40, were rebuilt parts of the former fort: two towers, the gun bastion and part of the palisades. The remaining buildings were staked at least as floor plans. 2000-2002 had to be renovated the fort.

The village of Abercrombie has a few hundred meters from the Fort developed. Is located on the outskirts of the village a small museum with historical artifacts and a model of the continued