GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – “Fort Howard kind of helped pave the way for the settlement here in Green Bay and Northeast Wisconsin.”
The history of Fort Howard is long, with the fort built in 1816 as the U.S. continued its westward expansion.
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Fort Howard was one of many built within the Midwest, including getting help from Fort Mackinac.
“So Fort Howard, it was constructed in 1816. Troops came down from Mackinac Island — the Third Infantry, a rifle regiment, some artillery — came down in three ships to build a fort here on the Fox-Wisconsin waterway,” said Fort Howard resident historian Timothy Brumm. “And establish an American presence here in this community.”
Fort Howard remained in operation until 1852. It sat along the western bank of the Fox River and allowed ships to travel from the Fox River to the bay of Green Bay and as far west as the Mississippi River.
“Green Bay here, as the Fox River drains into the bay, and the Fox-Wisconsin River waterway was just that — the highway to the west,” said Brumm. “So, if you’re coming in sooner or later, a steamer across the Great Lakes from Detroit or Buffalo.”
Unknown at the time, many arriving or spending time at Fort Howard would soon become a piece of Green Bay history.
Seeing what a day would look like for someone living at the fort:
“You would have come through that sally port from the Fox River. And then what you would have seen is a series of barracks for the enlisted men,” said Brumm. “The officers’ quarters for the officers, a large parade ground, a large mast flying the U.S. flag. And then on the far side was a rather large structure — the commanding officer’s house and his little detached kitchen.”
Settlers coming to the Midwest, including Wisconsin, made a major impact on the development of the area.
“You could see soldiers marching and patrolling. Some of the early residents talk about the sights and smells of Fort Howard. You could hear — they’re baking several hundred loaves of bread every day,” said Brumm. “It’s filling the air. And the military band is playing, and you could hear that at the flag raising every morning. What a presence.”
A legacy left behind, as the village of Howard is named after the fort.
A place that helped the expansion of the U.S. westward and shaped the Wisconsin communities that followed.
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“When we talk about Fort Howard, it was this three-acre fort standing over there with a stockade around it and 20 to 25 buildings,” said Brumm. “Anywhere between 200 and 600 soldiers were stationed there. The village of Howard takes its name — it once was part of that military reservation.”
If you want to learn more about Fort Howard and its history, you can head to Heritage Hill State Historical Park.
