A Blue Island, IL, to Wellington, KS, vehicle train rolls pass the Old Fort in Fort Madison on the Chillicothe Sub. In about a mile this crew out of Chicago will hand the train over to a crew bound for KC.
History on the fort...Built in 1808, Fort Madison was a government factory, or trading post, which carried on lucrative trade with the Native peoples of the Upper Mississippi. It was the third highest grossing factory in the nation from 1808 to 1811. When the War of 1812 broke out the post found itself under frequent attack by Native forces. In 1813 the fort was harassed by Native warriors culminating in July. Poor supplies also sapped the post’s strength. With no usable food by November and winter approaching, the soldiers set fire to the post and withdrew to St. Louis. This is a reconstruction of the old one.
