Description:

Taylor Zachary 1784 - 1850 Zachary Taylor signed note for Fort Crawford reconstruction



Manuscript document signed by Zachary Taylor, 7.75' x 5.5". Dated "14 December 1835", and signed by him with a large bold flourish as "Z. Taylor, Col. Comdg". Irregular left edge, overall toning, soft center fold, else near fine.


Zachary Taylor oversaw the construction of the second Fort Crawford began in 1829 which today still stands, and was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1960. The original Fort Crawford was an outpost of the US Army located in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, during the 19th Century.

The U.S. Army's presence in Prairie du Chien began during the War of 1812, when Fort Shelby was built on an island of the Mississippi River that formed part of the town. In 1814, Fort Shelby was captured by British forces and renamed Fort McKay. The British would continue to occupy Prairie du Chien until 1815, after the Treaty of Ghent restored the pre-war border between the United States and British Canada. When the British retreated from the city, they burned Fort McKay rather than give it back to the Americans.

The new fort's location on the mainland in Prairie du Chien was much more flood proof. In addition, to make the fort more weather-proof, it was decided to construct the structure using quarried limestone rather than wood. This in addition to delays in federal funding meant that the construction of the second Fort Crawford would take much longer than that of the first, lasting from 1829 until 1835.

This exceptional DS from 1835 is a receipt for wood for the construction of Fort Crawford for "One Cord two Feet Eight Inches in full ... ", and includes a rare large and bold signature of Zachary Taylor.

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