Visitors invited to take a step back to the 1860s at the Forest City Stockade outside Litchfield, Minnesota
Aug. 12—FOREST CITY
— As the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862 waged across the prairies of west central Minnesota, a group of settlers and town folks came together to construct a protective barrier between them and the Dakota warriors. What they created on Sept. 3, 1862, was the
Forest City Stockade
— it protected more than 200 people for nearly 11 days.
"This was put up by those volunteers in 24 hours. Hustle was the name of the game," said Bob Hermann, who, along with wife, Betty, has been leading the charge to care, protect and share the story of the stockade and pioneer community Forest City for over 40 years.
That first stockade was made quickly, using sawmill-cut boards that might originally been produced to build a new church. It probably only lasted for a few years after the war ended, mostly because the property owners whose home was encircled by the tall walls didn't fancy living in the middle of a stockade, Hermann said.
The first reconstruction of the stockade went up as a celebration of the United States Bicentennial in 1976. The stockade people see today, located just off the intersection of Minnesota Highway 24 and 309th Street in Forest City, is the second reconstruction, finished in 2018.
"We are proud of the stockade we have put up for the third time," Hermann said.
The history of the original stockade actually goes back a bit further than 1862, back to the founding of Forest City in 1856. It was the first white settlement in Meeker County, which for hundreds of years had been hunting grounds for the Dakota. The town was situated on a main road that took people to Monticello and then St. Anthony, what is now known as Minneapolis.
Due to its location, Forest City became a beacon of safety for many settlers when the
war broke out in 1862
. The first casualties happened in
Acton
, about 15 miles away from Forest City. Throughout the weeks of the war, there were reports of violent altercations between white settlers and Dakota warriors, who were reacting to harsh treatment by the U.S. government. According to the Minnesota Historical Society, approximately 600 white people were killed during the war, along with 75 to 100 Dakota. Many more Dakota would die in the aftermath.
"Things were happening," Hermann said. "It was dangerous."
Families of settlers from across the region, including from Kandiyohi County, started arriving in Forest City not long after the violence erupted in mid-August 1862. Many only stayed in Forest City for a day or two before moving on to safer locations to the east. However dozens did stay, not wanting to abandon their homes and livelihoods if they could help it.
By early September, there were around 22 families seeking refuge in Forest City. The decision was made to build a stockade around the home of the Whitcomb and Macy families, Hermann said, due to the property having a good water source. The 120-square-foot stockade provided protection for around 200 people and 20 wagons, along with the animals penned just outside the walls.
On Sept. 4, the day after the walls went up, a band of Dakota warriors, led by Chief Little Crow, did attack the stockade, but the walls held firm and the Dakota moved on. That was the only direct attack on the stockade.
By Sept. 15, Company B of the 8th Minnesota Volunteer Regiment arrived. The soldiers would remain in the area until winter, doing patrols across the prairie.
"It was positive thinking for the settlers," to put the stockade up, Hermann said.
There was little, if anything, left of the original stockade when a devoted group of people started thinking about building a reconstruction on the same land. Because the stockade had played such a vital role in Meeker County's history, it was felt rebuilding it as part of the bicentennial celebrations was a fitting way to honor the pioneer spirit.
"There was a lot of enthusiasm around 1976," Hermann said.
The bicentennial stockade was constructed using around 1,200 logs, most of them purchased by county residents for $6.40 per log. The stockade was built with the help from various groups and people, including the
682 Engineer Battalion
of the Minnesota National Guard and volunteers from around the area. The stockade was constructed near, but not exactly on the same ground, where the original had stood.
"The actual site of the stockade should be 250 to 300 feet to the west," Hermann said.
The bicentennial stockade walls and walkway survived for nearly 40 years, until age got the better of it.
Around 2011, the Forest City Stockade committee began discussions and planning to reconstruct the walls again. It cost around $70,000 and took until 2018 to complete. With its log walls and walkway around the upper edge, the present-day stockade is much better built than the original, constructed to stand up to the crowds that visit annually.
"We hope this will last 60 years," Hermann said. "We did things heavy-duty."
Nestled inside the Stockade, just like the original, is a two-story log cabin. And just like the current Stockade, this is the third iteration of the structure. The original house has long disappeared.
The cabin that was built for the 1976 stockade was sadly destroyed by fire in a case of alleged arson in 1999. No one was ever charged with the crime, and the cabin and all of the antiques inside were lost. It was a difficult time, but the group pushed forward and rebuilt the cabin.
The group then turned their attention to an even bigger project. To expand the offerings for visitors to the Stockade, along with continuing to honor and teach about the pioneers in the area, the committee began constructing the historic Forest City.
Based on a nearly 100-year-old drawing of what Forest City had looked like in the summer of 1862, just outside the Stockade walls there now sits a reconstructed pioneer town. Many of the buildings on site are original cabins and homes from the late 1800s, donated by families across the region.
"Some of the buildings are a little bit of our imagination of how an early town would have been, but a lot of them represent the buildings that would have been here," Hermann said, such as a church, blacksmith, tavern and school.
The historic village comes alive in mid-August and early December when the two major events at the Stockade take place.
The
39th annual Summer Rendezvous
will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 19-20.
Visitors will be able to visit craftspeople and artisans in many of the historic buildings, seeing how pioneer crafts were done. There will also be the chance to see historic farm equipment, take a wagon ride and visit the schoolhouse with activities for children. A pioneer fur traders camp will also be set up, to show people how the first white settlers lived prior to mass immigration to the area. There will also be live music and tasty food such as buffalo beef sandwiches, homemade ice cream and fry bread. The entire event is family-friendly. Admission is $5 per person, with children under the age of 12 are free.
"There are a lot of things to see," Hermann said. "Everybody has their favorite building."
The Stockade also opens its gates for a
Pioneer Christmas
on Saturday, Dec. 2, for the 27th annual event. Visitors can see how the pioneers celebrated the holidays with crafts, sleigh or wagon rides and a pioneer trading post. There will also be a winter encampment, live Christmas music and food options served throughout the day. Admission is $5 per person, and free for children under the age of 12.
The events, or even the Stockade itself, wouldn't exist without the hundreds of volunteers, artisans and those who have donated to the cause. Hermann said it takes about 150 volunteers to run the Rendezvous each of the two days.
"We are all people who love history," Hermann said.
It has definitely been a labor of love for Hermann and all the volunteers, to not only create the reconstructed Stockade and village, but also continue to offer fun and educational events for the public. Hermann believes it is imperative that places and events such as the Stockade exist, to continue to honor the pioneers and remember the history, both the good and the bad.
"When you come through these gates, it is like opening a history that is alive," Hermann said. "For children, it is just wonderful. They really get to see how life could have been."
