In 1803, the United States government built Fort Dearborn near the mouth of the Chicago River to guard the portage between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basin. There was very little settlement in Chicago at the time and the fort joined a small handful of houses. Across the river (near the present-day Michigan Avenue/DuSablebridge) sat the Jean Baptiste PointDuSablehome site, which JohnKinziepurchased in 1804 afterDuSablemoved to St. Charles, Missouri.DuSable, who moved to Chicago with his Potawatomi wife Catherine in the late 1780s, is generally considered to be Chicago's first non-native settler. 

Kinzieopened a trading post near the fort and established a steady business with its occupants.Kinzie, likeDuSableand other early settlers, was able to interact with native groups as well as English and French settlers. Their ability to operate in each sphere was necessary in the multicultural world of late-18th and early-19th century Chicago.

In 1812, U.S. soldiers evacuated Fort Dearborn in response to fears of British attack during the war of 1812. As fort soldiers and residents made their way to Fort Wayne, Native Americans attacked the caravan, killing several and taking many others captive. They also destroyed Fort Dearborn. This event is known as the Fort Dearborn Massacre, as well as the Battle of Fort Dearborn. It is commemorated byDefense,the sculpture by HenryHeringattached to the southwest pillar of the Michigan Avenuebridge.

The U.S. government rebuilt Fort Dearborn in 1816. By this time, the political repercussions of the War of 1812 had begun to filter into Chicago. Now firmly in American hands, the village ofKinzie’sera turned into a rapidly-growing metropolis by midcentury.

Having outlived its military use, the fort was torn down in 1857. The footprint of the fort can be seen embedded in the sidewalk around the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive.

Edmunds,R. David. "Chicago in the Middle Ground."Encyclopedia of Chicago Online.Accessed August 2016.http://encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/254.html

Keating, Ann Durkin. "Fort Dearborn."Encyclopedia of ChicagoOnline. Accessed August 2016.http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/477.html

Image: Chicago in 1820,courtesy Library of Congress

Text by Hope Shannon, Loyola University Chicago