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 1815 as the British relinquished their trading posts in America. The AFC ceased trading in 1847. 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 American Fur company about 1815 as the British relinquished their trading posts in America following the War of 1812. American Posts The North West Company (NWC) post was taken over by the American Fur Company about 1815. About 1834 the American Fur Company moved its operation to present-day La Pointe because the anchorage 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: 46.78030, -90.78841 American Fur Company 46.75991, -90.75625 French Fort Area (approx) 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) Links: North American Forts - Fort La Pointe HMDB - Madrline Island Marker Visited: No