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Teachers in Illinois schools (grades prekindergarten through 12) can apply for grant funds to visit this site on a field trip with their students. Click here for the details.
The Apple River Fort was the site of an important battle during the Black Hawk War. It was the only fort attacked by Black Hawk during the turbulent summer of 1832. On June 24, 1832, the settlers at the fort turned back an attack by some 200 Sauk and Fox warriors led by Black Hawk. The war, which lasted only 16 weeks, ended the threat of Indian attacks in the area and opened the region to further settlement. Among the settlers turning back the were three women who shared the name Elizabeth. Elizabeth Armstrong, one of at least three Elizabeths living in the Apple River Fort settlement, played a prominent role in defending the community during the attack. Many notable men participated in the Black Hawk War including a young Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, and General Winfield Scott. Abraham Lincoln and his militia company camped near the site prior to the battle on June 9th.
Today, the fort has been reconstructed and is open for self – guided tours. Special events throughout the year highlight many aspects of life in Jo Daviess County in 1832. Exhibits at the Interpretive Center, on the trail, and at the fort tell the story of the Sauk and Fox, the early settlers, and the conflict that became known as the Black Hawk War.
APPLE RIVER FORT IN 1832 AN UNEASY PEACE
The Black Hawk War, one of the so-called Indian Wars, was fought in northwest Illinois and what is now southwest Wisconsin in 1832. It pitted a band of Sauk and Fox, led by Black Hawk, against the Illinois militia and the U.S. Army. The conflict had its roots in a controversial 1804 treaty in which the Sauk and Fox ceded 50 million acres to the United States for $2,234.50 plus a $1,000 per year annuity. Under the terms of the treaty, the tribes could continue to live on the land until it was sold.
THE LEAD RUSH
The discovery of lead in the Galena area during the 1820s brought many miners to the area. Nearby, at the Apple River settlement, the miners built a cluster of cabins and in 1827 opened the first general store. When the Sauk and Fox returned from their winter hunt early in 1829, they found settlers living in their villages. Later that year, their land was offered for sale and the Sauk and Fox were forced to relocate on the west side of the Mississippi River.
THE FIGHT FOR LAND
Black Hawk, a Sauk warrior who had fought with the British against the United States in the War of 1812, was determined to return to the land he believed belonged to his people. On April 5, 1832, he started up the Rock River with a band of 500 warriors and about 700 women, children, and old men. Governor Reynolds immediately called out the militia, and when Black Hawk’s warriors routed the militia at the Battle of Stillman’s Run on May 14th, the Black Hawk War had begun.
THE BLACK HAWK WAR
The settlers in the mining area were panic stricken. Many left Galena by steamboat. At the Apple River Settlement, the miners quickly built a fort around existing cabins. They had not long to wait. On June 24th, Black Hawk and some 200 warriors attacked the Apple River Fort. Inside, the men kept up a steady stream of fire, aided by the women, who molded musket balls and loaded weapons. The battle raged for about 45 minutes. Then Black Hawk, thinking the Fort heavily armed, abandoned the battle, raiding nearby cabins for supplies as he and his warriors departed. The next day, at the Second Battle of Kellogg’s Grove, the arrival of U.S. Army troops forced Black Hawk to flee north to Wisconsin. Finding his band hungry and disheartened, Black Hawk decided to lead his followers west across Wisconsin and back into Iowa. Pursued by the Army and the militia, Black Hawk’s band struggled on to the Mississippi at the mouth of the Bad Axe River. The Black Hawk War ended August 2nd,when the Indians were caught between the steamboat Warrior and the Army troops. Of the 1,200 who had started out with Black Hawk, only about 150 survived. Black Hawk escaped but was later captured. The Apple River Fort, hastily erected that May, survived its first and only attack that June Sunday. It was torn down some 15 years later in 1847, its lumber used to build a barn.
THE INTERPRETIVE CENTER
Located a short distance from the fort, the Interpretive Center and Museum Shop relates the story of the Black Hawk War and the Apple River Fort. A series of illustrated panels tells the story of the Sauk and Fox, the early miners, and the conflict between the two cultures that led to the Black Hawk War. Other exhibits at the two-story Interpretive Center include a 15-minute video of the Black Hawk War and archaeology exhibits telling how the fort was located and displaying some of the artifacts uncovered at the site. Exhibits along the trail to the fort explore the role of Abraham Lincoln and other notables in the Black Hawk War, the building of the fort, and the June 24, 1832 attack by Black Hawk and his warriors. Because of its rich archaeological remains and historical significance, the Apple River Fort site is listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the official federal list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects significant in American history.
See the Apple River Fort photo gallery
Visit Apple River Fort's Website
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Galena Country Welcome Center, 123 N. Commerce St., Galena, IL. 61036, 815-776-9200, galena@visitgalena.org
- There is a parking lot by the visitor’s center that is concrete. There are designated accessible parking spaces in the lot.
- Sidewalks are concrete and wooden boardwalks, which could be uneven and slippery when wet or icy. The entrance to the fort itself is grass, which could be uneven. The surface inside the fort is dirt, which could be uneven. Wooden boardwalks which could be slippery when wet or icy approximate total distance is 50 feet.
- There is a wooden boardwalk ramp to the side of the front porch/front entrance of the Visitor’s Center.
- Accessible restrooms are located in the lower level of the visitor’s center. There is an accessible entrance door in the lower level.
- Harnessed and leashed service animals are welcomed at the Apple River Fort. Although, there are no outdoor water fountains to accommodate service animals.
- Water fountains are accessible and available at the Visor Center.
- Benches are available to sit if needed
- None of the exhibits are tactile or have braille informational plaques. Also, there are no audio or headphones for visually impaired.
Accessibility Information
The following are available for the visitor to the site:
The entrance to the fort is wheelchair accessible, however the path leading to it is grass, which could be uneven. The surface inside the fort is dirt, which may be hard to maneuver when wet or icy. No stairs in the fort. There are stairs in the interpretive center, but each floor has its own wheelchair accessible door. Tour of the fort is self-guided; guests spend as much time as they want there. There are places to sit in the interpretive center, as well as, at the Fort itself. There are no hiking trails at this location.
