Chicago Loop: Site of Fort Dearborn

Site of Fort Dearborn

Location: Intersection of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive

Fort Dearborn: Year built: 1803, destroyed: 1812.
Second fort erected on the same site: 1816, demolished 1856.

Date Designated a Chicago Landmark: September 15, 1971.

Site of Fort Dearborn

The plaque reads..
Chicago Landmark
Site of Fort Dearborn
1803

Fort Dearborn served as a major western garrison
of the United States until destroyed during an Indian
unrising in August of 1812. A second fort erected on
the same site in 1816, was demolished in 1856.

Designated a Chicago Landmark on Sepetember 15, 1971,
by the City Council of Chicago.
Richard J Daley, Mayor.

Commission on Chicago Historical and Architectural Landmarks.

Site of Fort Dearborn

Non-native settlement of Chicago remained sparse until after the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, when Fort Dearborn was built on the south side of the Chicago River. Fort Dearborn – a U.S. Military Garrison – was the first government building to be built in Chicago. The fort was named for U.S. Secretary of War, Henry Dearborn. Its purpose was to protect the settlers against attacks by Native Americans. It ushered in an era of peaceful trade in the area and served as the country’s major western military garrison until August 1812, when it was destroyed following an Indian uprising. A second fort, erected on the same site in 1816. However after the U.S. troops abandoned the Fort in 1837, and it was demolished in 1856. Whatever remained was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1871.

Site of Fort Dearborn

The London Guarantee Building / 85 E. Wacker Drive at North Michigan Avenue

The London Guarantee Building / 360 N. Michigan Avenue

The London Guarantee Building [360 N. Michigan Avenue] was erected on the site of Fort Dearborn in 1922.
There are plaques at the entrance of this building marking the existence of Fort Dearborn, as shown in images below..