The Fort Howard Story
Green Bay's Fort Howard,
as well as Fort Crawford at Prairie du Chien, was built following the War of 1812 to establish a U.S. presence in the Wisconsin territory and strategically cut off British access to trade routes. The forts were also used to construct Wisconsin's military roads and to negotiate treaties with the American Indian populations.
Augustin Grignon guided U.S. troops down through the Great Lakes and into the Bay in 1816 to the location where Fort Howard was to be built, directly across the river from here. Menominee Chief Tomah made peace between the pro-British American residents and the U.S. troops so that construction of the fort could begin.
The fort stood for many years as a protector and social center for the area residents. But while the troops were there to manage and protect the waterways, many felt no one group should control there use. John Penn Arndt, a well-respected local merchant, built a ferry for his customers to cross the river from
his inn on the east side to the fort on the west side. In doing this, he sparked a court battle that forever changed policy and opened the waterways to all.
Perhaps the most famous resident of Fort Howard was
Zachory Taylor, who served as an early commander of the fort. Taylor later became the twelfth U.S. President (1848-50).
Fort Howard was briefly abandoned in 1820, rebuilt in the 1830's, and then abandoned again in 1840, when the garrison was sent to fight the Seminole Wars in Florida. In 1852, the fort was decommissioned, though it reopened for a short time in 1863 as an enlistment center for Civil War soldiers.
Original 1830's Fort Howard buildings that can now be seen at Heritage Hill State Historical Park are the Fort Howard Hospital and a structure being used as the Company Kitchen I and Orderly Room.
Marker can be reached from the intersection of Main Street (U.S. 141) and North Washington Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
