Fort St. John (1)
Fort St. John (1) (1803-1823) - A U.S. Army fort established in 1803 on the site of older French and Spanish fortifications in present day New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. Garrisoned during the War of 1812. Sold about 1823. Also known as Fort Pontchartrain (2), Fort St. Jean, Fort St. John of the Bayou, Fort San Juan del Bayou and Spanish Fort (2).
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Fort St. John (1) History
The French established Fort St. John about 1701 at the mouth of Bayou St. John, where it flowed into Lake Pontchartrain. The fort was originally called Fort St. John of the Bayou or Fort San Juan del Bayou, later shortened to Fort St. John. The Spanish took control of New Orleans in 1763 and rebuilt the wooden French fort using masonry and brick about 1779. The French regained control of New Orleans in 1803 but sold it in1803 to the Americans in the Louisiana Purchase.
The fort was occupied by Americans about 1803. It was garrisoned during the War of 1812 prior to the Battle of New Orleans. The troops were removed in 1814 for the battle when it became clear that the British would not attack from Lake Pontchartrain. The fort was decommissioned in 1823 in favor of the new Fort Pike (1) that guarded the Rigolets Pass. The property was sold to Harvy Elkin in 1823 and in the 1880s the site became a popular amusement area that lasted through the 1920s.
Current Status
A roadside marker and ruins of the small brick fort in present day New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana.
USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Database Entry: 556105
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Location: New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. Maps & Images Lat: 30.0232576 Long: -90.0831279 |
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 351-352
Links:
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