Fort Davidson
National Register of Historic Places

Fort Davidson

Pilot Knob, Iron County, Missouri
Listed
February 25, 1970
Type
Site
Period
Civil War
Ref No.
70000332

About this property

Fort Davidson, a fortification near the town of Pilot Knob, Missouri, was the site of the Battle of Fort Davidson during the American Civil War. Built by Union Army soldiers during the American Civil War, the fort repulsed Confederate attacks during the Battle of Fort Davidson on September 27, 1864, during Price's Raid. That night, the Union garrison blew up the fort's magazine and abandoned the site. A mass grave was constructed on the site to bury battlefield dead. After the war, the area was used by a mining company, before passing into private hands and eventually the administration of the United States Forest Service. In 1968, the Battle of Pilot Knob State Historic Site was created as a Missouri State Park. The fort itself was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. As of 2020, a visitors center containing a museum is located within the park. The museum contains a fiber optic display, as well as artifacts including Brigadier General Thomas Ewing Jr.'s sword. The fort's walls are still visible, as is the crater created when the magazine was detonated. A monument marks the location of the mass grave.

Location

Pilot Knob, Iron County, Missouri
37.62921, -90.64012

Categories

MILITARYPOLITICS/GOVERNMENT
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
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks and old features hidden in the landscape.
Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
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
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
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Finds & Access
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Literature
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Nearby Historic Sites

Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran Church
Industrial
0.2 mi
Ironton Lodge Hall
Industrial
2.1 mi
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Civil War
2.2 mi
Iron County Courthouse Buildings
Industrial
2.3 mi
Ursuline Academy-Arcadia College Historic District
Listed
3.2 mi

Nearby Battles

Battle of Pilot Knob Missouri
1864Civil War
0.6 mi
Price's Missouri Raid — Pilot Knob (Fort Davidson)
1864Civil War
0.7 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fort Davidson listed on the National Register?

Fort Davidson was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 25, 1970.

What type of historic resource is Fort Davidson?

Fort Davidson is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Fort Davidson?

The period of significance for Fort Davidson is recorded as the civil_war era, specifically around 1864.

Can I research the history near Fort Davidson?

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