Fort La Pointe

Fort La Pointe (1693-1698, 1718-1759, 1793-1815, 1815-1847) - A French Fur Trading Post and Fort established in 1693 near present-day La Pointe on Madeline Island, Ashland County, Wisconsin. Initially named Le Sueur's Fort after the builder. Le Sueur's Fort was abandoned in 1698. The French returned to the Island in 1718 and built Fort La Pointe but left again in 1759 as a result of the French defeat in the French & Indian War. The British North West Company (NWC) established their own trading post in 1793, built by Michel Cadotte. It was taken over by the American Fur Company (AFC) about 1816 as the British relinquished their trading posts in America. The AFC ceased trading in 1847. USGS Map Snippet of Madeline Island,WI, Showing Fort & Post Locations. (After Ross) La Pointe Fortifications & Trading Posts Post Company Estab Closed GPS Notes Le Sueur's Fort French 1693 1698 46.75534, -90.78597 1st French Post Fort La Pointe French 1718 1759 46.77054, -90.78198 2nd French Post La Pointe North West Company Post North West 1793 1806 46.75387, -90.78099 La Pointe Michilimackinac Company Post Michilimackinac 1806 1811 46.75387, -90.78099 La Pointe South West Company Post South West 1811 1816 46.75387, -90.78099 La Pointe American Fur Company Post (1) American Fur 1816 1835 46.75329, -90.78123 1st American Post La Pointe American Fur Company Post (2) American Fur 1835 1860 46.78030, -90.78841 2nd American Post French Posts Le Sueur's Fort was a fortified French Fur Trading Post established near present-day La Pointe on Madeline Island, Wisconsin. Pierre Le Sueur was sent to Madeline Island to erect the trading post and fort in 1693. The post was garrisoned with a company of traders and some 30 soldiers under the command of La Gardeur de St. Pierre. Le Sueur's Fort was abandoned in 1698. The French returned to the Island in 1718 and built Fort La Pointe. Fort La Pointe became New France's principal fur-trading post on Lake Superior, but the French had to leave in 1759 as a result of the French defeat in the French & Indian War. The French forts were established on the southeast side of the island just above the point. British Post The British North West Company (NWC) established their trading post on the island in 1793, built by Michel Cadotte. It was taken over by the Michilimackinac Company in 1806 and the South West Company about 1811 as the British looked for ways to keep operating their trading posts in America. While the managing company name changed the local operators remained the same. American Posts In 1811 American John Jacob Astor and some of the North West Company British partners formed the South West Company (SWC). The SWC was to operate the former NWC trading posts on the American side of Lake Superior giving them American and British ownership to avoid growing anti-British sentiment in the United States. The NWC post at Madeline Island was one of these posts. The War of 1812 negated this arrangement because the British came to control this area of the Great Lakes and Astor did not receive any profits from the continued operation of the affected trading posts during the war. The South West Company (SWC) post was taken over by the American Fur Company about 1815 when the U.S. Congress passed a law forbidding foreign ownership of trading posts on American soil. It was this last change in ownership that saw Michel Cadotte leave the post in 1816. About 1834 the American Fur Company moved its operation to present-day La Pointe because the lagoon at the old French Fort site was filling with sand. The new site became the headquarters for the Northern Outfit of the American Fur Company. The company declared bankruptcy in 1842 and ceased trading in 1847. Current Status The first two fort sites have archeological remains only and the locations are not confirmed. The final site was located in the town of La Pointe and part of that site is now the Madeline Island Museum which incorporates a small 1835 warehouse from the historic American Fur Company complex. {"selectable":false,"height":"-500","width":"-500"} Location: La Pointe, Madeline Island, Ashland County, Wisconsin. Maps & Images Lat: 46.78030 Long: -90.78841 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Elevation: 619' GPS Locations: 46.75534, -90.78597, Le Sueur's Fort 46.77054, -90.78198, Fort La Pointe 46.75387, -90.78099, La Pointe North West Company Post 46.75387, -90.78099, La Pointe South West Company Post 46.75329, -90.78123, La Pointe American Fur Company Post (1) 46.78030, -90.78841, La Pointe American Fur Company Post (2) See Also: North West Company North West Company Forts American Fur Company American Fur Company Forts Sources: Roberts, Robert B., Encyclopedia of Historic Forts: The Military, Pioneer, and Trading Posts of the United States, Macmillan, New York, 1988, 10th printing, ISBN 0-02-926880-X, page 852. Means, Philip Ainsworth, Preliminary survey of the remains of the Chippewa settlements on La Pointe island, Wisconsin, Smithsonian Institution, 1917, 15 pages (Google Books) Ross, Hamilton Nelson, La Pointe: Village Outpost on Madeline Island, Wisconsin Historical Society Press, Madison, 2000, Paperback, ISBN:9780870203213, 200 pages. Links: North American Forts - Fort La Pointe HMDB - Madrline Island Marker WayMarking - Michel Cadotte Visited: No