A Brief History of Fort Defiance

THE BUILDING OF THE FORT

The early settlers of Estherville were keenly aware of the resentment of the Indians. They had arrived in a region only recently clouded by the Spirit Lake massacre, with only the small stockade on the Des Moines river, manned by soldiers from Fort Dodge, to remind the Indians that their possession of the region was challenged. In late August, 1862, (five years after the Spirit Lake massacre) no occurrence in the village could have been less anticipated than the appearance of a fifteen year old boy who strode into Estherville with devastating news. The Santee Sioux had taken the warpath and were killing white settlers throughout southwest Minnesota. The boy's entire family had been killed, and he himself was suffering from a severe gunshot wound in his left shoulder. The boy had lived in Belmond, Minnesota, a small settlement about ten miles up the Des Moines River from present day Jackson. The boy had walked about thirty miles down the Des Moines River before reaching safety.

Meanwhile, several of the surviving families at Belmond had barricaded themselves in a single cabin. For two days a constant fusillade of gunfire took place between these settlers and the Indians. Finally the Indians drew off to assist in Little Crow's attack on Fort Ripley and New Ulm. Shortly after, scouts from Spirit Lake and Estherville rescued these families and escorted them to safety in Iowa. Luckily, none of them were killed or seriously injured.

After hearing the news of the uprising, messengers were sent to all the inhabitants in and around Estherville. For mutual protection, most families then moved into the schoolhouse on the public square in Estherville. Despite a severe shortage of guns, powder, percussion caps, and the like, the settlers prepared for the worst. The next day a company of volunteers was organized under the command of Ruel Fisher. This company set off to Minnesota to lend assistance. They were horrified at the scenes they encountered. After burying some fifteen people, they returned to Estherville and made further preparations for its defense. A messenger was sent to Des Moines with an appeal for help.

Word of the peril in the Northern tier of Iowa counties had already arrived at Gov. Kirkwood's office. A special session of the legislature was called, the result of which was the creation of the Northern Border Brigade under the command of Col. James A. Sawyer. Five companies of cavalry were to be formed. Company A, made up of residents of Emmet, Kossuth, Palo Alto, and Humboldt counties was assigned the defense of Estherville and the West branch of the Des Moines River. William H. Ingham of Algona was elected captain.

Prior to taking command of Company A, Ingham and William B. Carey set off for Minnesota to examine the situation. They found persons everywhere either frantically trying to escape, or preparing for defense. They arrived in New Ulm to find only the business houses, a large hotel, and a brick building to mark its location. The blackened ruins of homes, and the bullet-marked buildings, showed plainly the effect of the two different attacks made by the Sioux for its capture. The town had been completely abandoned except for a Captain Dane and a squad of cavalry. Ingham and Carey traveled with a detail of soldiers for a short period, then set off for home without serious incident, arriving in Algona on September 2nd.

Work did not officially begin on Fort Defiance in Estherville until November, 1862. By spring the following year, a stockade 126 feet square had been completed. The fort included a block house, captain's quarters and residence, commissary, guard house, a well and a large barn. The fort was surrounded on three sides by planks eight feet long and four inches thick. The south side contained a sod wall eight feet high and four feet thick. The fort was located on the East side of the river where the Fort Defiance Professional Building now stands. The oak and walnut used to construct the fort was obtained from the woods on the West side of the river.

The fort was occupied by company A until April of 1864. About the only excitement of note during that period was a near mutiny over the poor food. In April, 1864, the fort was transferred to I Troop, U.S. Cavalry. Soon after, this unit was sent west to fight Indians, and the fort became a stopping point for settlers on their way west. Eventually area settlers stripped the fort of its lumber and today many of the homes and barns in Emmet County contain materials from the fort.

THE FORT AND EARLY ESTHERVILLE

Fort Defiance was one of the last forts on the frontier incorporating a passive defense. Most forts constructed subsequent to the 1860's were without walls, with the idea that troops without such protection would be more alert, and more inclined to assume active operations against an enemy. They would also be less prone to a siege.

Fort Defiance had served its purpose in protecting the Iowa frontier. Occasionally it was used as a residence by settlers who were building homes on their own claims. For a year the former officers' quarters housed the county's first newspaper, the Northern Vindicator.

Persons who desire to know more about the Fort are invited to visit the Emmet County Historical Society Museum at 1720 3rd Ave. South in Estherville.

FORT DEFIANCE STATE PARK

This park of 50 acres is located in Emmet County near Estherville in the Des Moines river valley. A small stream flows through the valley. This stream is the outlet of Four Mile Lake, which has an area of 185 acres.

Large amounts of drift material of the Wisconsin drift sheet may be seen. The slopes of hills and land adjacent to the stream are covered with such trees as bur oak, pignut hickory, green ash, hard maple, slippery and American elms, and hop hornbeam, plum, crab, and red haws; also such shrubs as sumac, buck brush, hazel, bittersweet, strawberry bush, wild rose, and such herbaceous plants as bloodroot, rue anemone, hepatica, blue and yellow violets, goldenrods and asters. Many birds nest in this park, the more common being meadowlark, robin, nuthatch, and bluejay.

Wildlife is abundant with a large population of deer. An evening drive through the park in early spring before the trees have leafed out, will usually produce sightings of some of the deer inhabitants.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources maintains a campground, picnic areas, a shelter house, walking and horse trails in the park. They also have a permanent home in the park for the park ranger.