Fort Crawford Museum proud to preserve area history

By Rachel Mergen

“Prairie du Chien is a part of a larger picture,” Carolyn Sand, tour guide at the Fort Crawford Museum, said. Fort Crawford Museum is forever changing. With history lessons being formatted differently in schools as years go by, it is important for families, both locally and from around the country, to learn about the nationally-important narratives that are held within the walls of the museum. One time is never enough to experience the rich history that rotates through the museum. 

The museum, owned and operated by the Prairie du Chien Historical Society, contains history from Fort Crawford, Prairie du Chien, the Mississippi River and the medical field. The museum is a forgotten treasure of the area. According to Sand and Mary Antoine, PdC Historical Society president, many people focus on the Villa Louis when it comes to viewing history, but there is certainly more than just one location. Fort Crawford Museum is the earliest representation of the fort. 

According to a tourist from New Zealand, who visited the museum on June 14, “We’ve gone to larger museums and this place is far better. [There are] nice exhibits with lots of information.” 

The museum has a wide collection of items available for the public to view. Included in the exhibits are photographs, documents and historical objects, which pertain to Prairie du Chien, the military, businesses and the government. Sand and Antoine stated that the photographs and documents are invaluable. Along with these items are the St. Mary’s murals, Civil War rosters for Prairie du Chien and Crawford County and the Dr. William Beaumont collection. Information on many treaties, including the treaties of 1829, 1830 and 1836, is also included. Among the staple items is an iron lung, one of the few still on display in the world, and information about the treatment of polio.

The medical building of the museum was originally a hospital, which was ruined in the early 1900s. For 60 years, local groups, physicians and the state medical society helped restore it to its present condition. The museum was then opened in 1961.

Sand mentioned, “Tourists visit to see the contributions Beaumont made in the medical society.” 

The first room of the museum’s medical hospital section is dedicated to Beaumont and his experiments. Beaumont is thought to be the “Father of Gastroenterology.” Born in Lebanon, Conn., he traveled to many locations in the country during the time of the War of 1812. He was a post surgeon at Fort Crawford from 1829 to 1831. While working in medical hospitals, he vaccinated soldiers against small pox and treated malaria and ague (other acute fevers). 

In addition to helping soldiers, he also kept busy experimenting on Alexis St. Martin, a young man whom an American Fur Company employee accidently shot in the stomach. St. Martin miraculously survived the injury, but was left with an open wound in his stomach. Beaumont used this unique opportunity to learn about the relationship between gastric juice and the process of digestion. There were over 300 experiments done on St. Martin. He lived until his 80s though, and was paid for his position, with money, clothing and other items that benefited his family. 

Other than Beaumont and St. Martin, there were many other important characters at the fort. Zachary Taylor, the 12th president of the United States, helped build the second Fort Crawford. There are also great amounts of information on war chief Black Sparrow Hawk and Jefferson Davis, along with many other historically-important people.

Included within the blast of history is a love story that will interest many. Jefferson Davis wanted to marry Zachary Taylor’s daughter, Sarah, but Taylor was against the idea unless Davis left the army first. Taylor knew very well that the living quarters of the fort were terrible. Taylor did not want his daughter in such a dangerous situation for the rest of her life. Davis eventually married Taylor’s daughter.

In the second room of the medical hospital, the fort’s history is available. The first Fort Crawford, located on St. Feriole Island, started in 1816. Age and numerous years of flooding ruined this fort and made it inhabitable to the soldiers. 

The second Fort Crawford is the focus of the museum. This fort was built and used during 1829 to 1849. Models of the fort can be found within the medical hospital museum’s second room. 

The Daughters of the American Revolution believed it was important to help restore the buildings and save the history.

During the ‘90s, the city of Prairie du Chien redid Beaumont Road and found the original foundation of the fort underneath. Many artifacts were found—including silverware, pottery and bone toothbrushes—and added to the museum’s collection.

The third room of this building is focused on more information about the history of medicine. Included in this section is information about Swift Hospital, along with many dioramas. Some of the doctors included in the exhibits are Dr. Ephraim McDowell, “The Father of Abdominal Surgery;” Dr. James Marion Sims, “The Father of Modern Female Surgery;” Dr. John Collins Warren, the first surgeon to use anesthesia; Dr. John Benjamin Murphy, who brought to the medical world Murphy’s sign; and Dr. Phillip Syng, “The Father of American Surgery.” 

The second building of the museum is focused on local history. Exhibits in the building include: clamming, which was a business used to make products like buttons; the Al Reed collection, that is on loan to the museum; and the local fire department history, which was established in 1873. 

On the walls of one of the building’s halls are extravagant family trees of prominent families in the community, most having French roots. A few of these families are the Kramers, Gauthiers and DuCharmes. 

Schools’ histories are also previewed within the local section of the museum. Both the Campion Jesuit High School and St. Mary’s Academy are featured. 

Also included in this building is information on the Delta Queen, the United Methodist Church and May Nichols, along with many other topics. Nichols was one of the first female photographers prior to World War I. She had a photo studio in the area, and helped support other women in the business. In the museum, many of her photographs are shown, and a few of her negatives are part of the collection. 

In addition, Blackhawk Avenue shots can be seen, along with works from Notre Dame sister, Mary Gertrude. These murals once adorned the walls of St. Mary’s Academy. Her river mural, titled, “Maiden Rock” can be found in the museum, while the rest can be viewed at Peoples State Bank in downtown Prairie du Chien. 

A Pattern 1827 Cannon is positioned outside of the museum. Alexander McClung and Company built the working cannon in Pittsburgh, Pa. Weighing 780 pounds and hitting a length of 57 inches, it was used to call the men of Prairie du Chien to arms in 1861. Still to this day, the cannon is fired regularly. 

The Fort Crawford Museum is special in the community for reasons not just collection-related. It is the only historic place in the area that has an annual Christmas program, according to Sand and Antoine. To commemorate this event, a trail of trees is decorated to celebrate the holiday.

Two other special events are a pie auction during Rendezvous and a tour of the six local cemeteries during the fall.

The Prairie du Chien Historical Society is thrilled to bring visitors the history contained within its collection. The society was established in 1996, specifically to run the museum. After being owned by the state medical society from 1860 to 1995, it was time to pass on the responsibilities of the museum to a different organization. After the Wisconsin Historical Society decided to pass on the project, the city of Prairie du Chien was approached to continue the museum. The city created its own historical society in the hopes that it would be able to continue educating the community for many years to come. 

Anyone who is interested can join the PdC Historical Society. Both families and individuals can have memberships. Members get free admission to the museum as often as they would like, along with a discount at the museum store, which features a variety of books and other items for all ages. 

The historical society is currently searching for help with a new project. Members wish to preserve and fully restore the St. Germain Dit Gauthier-Coorough House on St. Feriole Island and have it added to the Wisconsin Historical Building list. The society is seeking  new members to help with the project, along with donations for both the project and the museum.

“The best part of working with the museum is learning more about Prairie du Chien every day,” Sand said happily. “Every day is a new day with 40 new questions.” The museum is full of opportunities to learn about a variety of topics.

“You should be a tourist in your own hometown,” Sand quoted the old saying that stands prominently in her mind. The museum is the perfect place to follow this wisdom.

The Fort Crawford Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., starting May 1 to the end of October. Every Saturday during the season, Michael Haefer, museum staff member, dresses in authentic clothing to help share history.

The museum is located at 717 S. Beaumont Rd., Prairie du Chien. For more information, call 326-6960 or go to fortcrawfordmuseum.com.