FORT ATKINSON – Iowans are invited to celebrate and tour recent renovations at the Fort Atkinson Preserve, which is a nationally significant 1840s military post in northeast Iowa. The celebration will begin at noon on Saturday, Sept. 28 as part of the annual Fort Atkinson Rendezvous.
Fort Atkinson is managed by the Iowa DNR as a historic preserve that features several original buildings such as barracks and a gunpowder house, along with archaeologically significant artifacts. Recent assessments and repairs were funded through a grant from the Save America's Treasures program through the Historic Preservation Fund, as administered by the National Parks Service, Department of the Interior, and donations from the Friends of Fort Atkinson.
The Fort Atkinson Rendezvous is a free, two-day event that featuring historical re-enactments of frontier life in 1840s. Participants dress in authentic costumes worn from the time period, recreating military life at the fort, as well as how hunters, trappers, and traders displayed furs and supplies for barter at a frontier rendezvous as existed further west in the Rocky Mountains. The event is celebrating its 48th year.
To learn more, visit www.iowadnr.gov and search for Fort Atkinson Preserve.