National Register of Historic Places

Apple River Fort Site

Elizabeth, Jo Daviess County, Illinois
Listed
November 7, 1997
Type
Site
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
97001332

About this property

Apple River Fort, today known as the Apple River Fort State Historic Site, was one of many frontier forts hastily completed by settlers in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin following the onset of the 1832 Black Hawk War. Located in present-day Elizabeth, Illinois, United States, the fort at the Apple River settlement was built in less than a week. It was one of the few forts attacked during the war and the only one attacked by a band led by Black Hawk himself. At the Battle of Apple River Fort, a firefight of about an hour ensued, with Black Hawk's forces eventually withdrawing. The fort suffered one militia man killed in action, and another wounded. After the war, the fort stood until 1847, being occupied by squatters before being sold to a private property owner who dismantled the building. Today, a replica of the fort stands next to the site of the original Apple River Fort. Constructed between 1996 and 1997 by a non-profit organization, the replica was based on earlier archaeological investigations of the site which revealed information about the layout and settlement at the fort. In 1997 the Apple River Fort Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 2001 the state of Illinois took over operations of the site and designated it the Apple River Fort State Historic Site. Apple River Fort was one of numerous Illinois historic sites slated to close October 1, 2008, due to cuts in the Illinois budget by Governor Rod Blagojevich. After Blagojevich was impeached and removed from office, new Illinois Governor Pat Quinn reopened the site in May 2009.

Location

Elizabeth, Jo Daviess County, Illinois
42.31811, -90.21440

Categories

MILITARYAGRICULTUREHISTORIC - NON-ABORIGINAL
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
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LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
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Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
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Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Spotlight
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Points of Interest
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Nearby Historic Sites

Bishop’s Busy Big Store-Lyric Opera House
Industrial
0.4 mi
Chicago Great Western Railroad Depot
Civil War
0.4 mi
Townsend House
Industrial
9.2 mi
White, W.E., Building
Industrial
10.8 mi
Scales Mound Historic District
Pre Contact
11.5 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Apple River Fort (Black Hawk War 1832)
1832Early Republic
5.3 mi
Apple River Fort Second Attack (June 24, 1832)
1832Early Republic
5.6 mi
Apple River Fort Skirmish (June 1832)
1832Early Republic
7.7 mi
Apple River Fort Attack
1832Early Republic
8 mi

Questions about this property

When was Apple River Fort Site listed on the National Register?

Apple River Fort Site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 7, 1997.

What type of historic resource is Apple River Fort Site?

Apple River Fort Site is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Apple River Fort Site?

The period of significance for Apple River Fort Site is recorded as the early_republic era.

Can I research the history near Apple River Fort Site?

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