Parish's Fort

[Larry Koschkee]

   I have sketchy information on a fort that was said to have been built by Thomas Parish in 1830, which was located at present day Montfort, WI.  Sources said it was later garrisoned during the Black Hawk War.

   Would appreciate further information that may be available.

Larry

[Robert Braun]

Hmmm... unfortunately, I don't have much on Parish's Fort either. The village clerk indicated there seems to be disagreement among local hisotrians as to where the fort actually was.

What info. do you have on this strongpoint?

Bob.

[Larry Koschkee]

As I said the information I have is sketchy but interesting.

"The cabin of Thomas Parish was the first, presumably at least, that can be recalled; the next was the fort which stood near the Methodist Church, and the third, also erected by Mr. Parish, was the old log tavern, raised into position about the same time, as a "halting-place" for soldiers en route from Fort Crawford to Portage.  During the Black Hawk war, the fort was invested with troops, says current rumor, but the officer in command, as also the composition of the company, cannont be recalled even by those from whom such uncertain accounts have been obtained."  Source: C. W. Butterfield's History of Grant County, 1881

"History of Montfort...In the fall of 1827 Thomas J. Parrish came and built a cabin on a branch of Blue River northwest of the present village.  Dawson E. and others of the Parrish family came the next year, and by 1832 there was a considerable mining settlement and the mines were fairly paying.  During the Black Hawk War a fort was built at the settlement and manned by volunteer soldiers, but who they were and who commanded them cannot be learned."  Source: Holford's History of Grant County, 1900

"Turning Back the Pages...The Parishes of Wingville built the first house, the old tavern, the smelter and the fort. The first cabin in the wilderness was a double log house, the two structures, a short distance apart, being connected by a roof extending from one cabin to the other.  The space below was open on the south, but logged up on the north, and was utilized as a woodshed.  The logs used in building the doble cabin were hewed and well fitted together at the ends.  There was no basement or cellar under them, but a root cellar just north in the hillside, at whose base the habitation was built.  The spring was just below, southeast.

The wagon trail, afterward the road, led around on the north side of the spring and on both sides of it a row of cottonwood trees was set out, that thrived mightily and in the course of time attained enormous growth, being three or four feet in diameter...Later the road was changed to the south side of the spring, and a plank trough constructed for the waterto pass throught to the other side of the road.

There were two short cuts from the old log house; one led just along the east side of the spring branch hollow north to what is now Montfort, and where the Parishes had erected a smelter and  fort.  The other led up the hillside through the timber to what is now old Centerville...As stated, Thos. B. Parrish lived in the double log house only a short time.  He then built a log cabin near what is now Montfort, which was later occupied by the Ledbetters and the Moores.  Then he built the old log tavern where the creamery now is, and made his home there.  The smelting furnace was close by, also the fort.  The old tavern was a halting place for soldiers enroute from Fort Crawford at Prairie du Chien to Portage.  It was a mammoth structure of some thirty rooms.  When Grandma Ledbettter was landlady, as many as fifty guests were accomodated in one day and as high as 75 horses provided for...

During the Black Hawk War, Thomas B., Parrish built the double story log fort.  In the State Historical Society's rooms at Madison there is a large map in a case showing "the first Indian fort of Wisconsin built by the Parishes in 1832 for the protection of the white settlers."  Only the mound of the old fort now remains...

The fort stood a short distance east of the present Montfort creamery, in the ravine through which a brook flows.  It was a superb location, the old military trail of a hundred years ago, and which by the way is still clearly discernible in the pasture one of the few such remaining portions passing right south of it.  Banker David James pinted out the site to us, and the outline of the fort is plainly traceable by the contour of the ground.

The fort was built right over a spring, so in case of attack or siege the water supply would never fail.

The old fort or stockade was set in the side of the hill, the rock basement served asthe first story.  There were severl 10 x 12 windows in this for observation.  On this base was erected a two story structure built of heavy logs, each story about eight feet high.  The door was on the south side and went in at the bottom of the stone basement.  From the basement a door led to the upper stories.  A crude ladder answered for a stairway.  There was no outside door in the upper stories.  Source: Fennimore Times, 1938 by Editor H. E. Roethe

Larry

[Robert Braun]

I find your information fascinating, Larry! Thanks so much for sharing! I didn't even have this much---just the quote from Holford, and a possible fort location in downtown Montfort from the town clerk.

Again...thanks!!   Bob.