Fort Beauharnois
Encyclopedia
Fort Beauharnois was a French fort (or fur post) built on the shores of Lake Pepin
, a wide part of the upper Mississippi River
, in 1727. The location chosen was on lowlands and the fort was rebuilt in 1730 on higher ground. It was the site of the first Roman Catholic chapel in Minnesota
, which was dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel. The fort was named after the Governor of New France
at the time, Charles de Beauharnois.
Eventually it was abandoned as the French sent most of their troops to the east to fight the British in the French and Indian War
.
Today, an Ursuline
convent
and the Villa Maria Conference Center stand on the site of the old fort, in Wacouta Township
of Goodhue County, Minnesota
, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
. The Minnesota Department of Transportation inventories a roadside historical marker of the presumed location of the fort along US 61/US 63. in Goodhue County, Minnesota
.
Lake Pepin
Lake Pepin is a naturally occurring lake, and the widest naturally occurring part of the Mississippi River, located approximately 60 miles downstream from Saint Paul, Minnesota. It is a widening of the river on the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. The formation of the lake was caused by the...
, a wide part of the upper Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, in 1727. The location chosen was on lowlands and the fort was rebuilt in 1730 on higher ground. It was the site of the first Roman Catholic chapel in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, which was dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel. The fort was named after the Governor of New France
Governor of New France
The Governor of New France was the viceroy of the King of France in North America. A French noble, he was appointed to govern the colonies of New France, which included Canada, Acadia and Louisiana. The residence of the Governor was at the Château St-Louis in the capital of Quebec City...
at the time, Charles de Beauharnois.
Eventually it was abandoned as the French sent most of their troops to the east to fight the British in the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
.
Today, an Ursuline
Ursulines
The Ursulines are a Roman Catholic religious order for women founded at Brescia, Italy, by Saint Angela de Merici in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula.-History:St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a...
convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
and the Villa Maria Conference Center stand on the site of the old fort, in Wacouta Township
Wacouta Township, Minnesota
Wacouta Township is a township in Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 410 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 9.8 square miles , of which, 4.2 square miles of it is land and 5.6 square...
of Goodhue County, Minnesota
Goodhue County, Minnesota
Goodhue County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 46,183. Its county seat is Red Wing. Nearly all of Prairie Island Indian Community is within the county.-History:...
, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in the United States. It is led by the prelature of an archbishop which administers the archdiocese from the cities of Saint Paul and Minneapolis...
. The Minnesota Department of Transportation inventories a roadside historical marker of the presumed location of the fort along US 61/US 63. in Goodhue County, Minnesota
Goodhue County, Minnesota
Goodhue County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 46,183. Its county seat is Red Wing. Nearly all of Prairie Island Indian Community is within the county.-History:...
.
See also
- Pierre-Charles Le SueurPierre-Charles Le SueurPierre-Charles Le Sueur was a French fur trader and explorer in North America, recognized as the first known European to explore the Minnesota River valley....
, one of the first French explorers to visit the upper Mississippi River in 1699 - Jacques Legardeur de Saint-PierreJacques Legardeur de Saint-PierreJacques Legardeur de Saint-Pierre was a Canadien colonial military commander and explorer. who held posts throughout North America in the 18th century.-Life:...
, commanded the fort 1734–May 1737