Report Inappropriate Comments

The Fort is our heritage and it’s sad that it has not received the attention necessary to maintain a safe environment. Yes, it is showing its age and needs attention. I know personally that the site manager Dr. Eugene Watkins put hundreds of hours of physical labor in all kinds of weather conditions making repairs and replacing logs. In addition to his physically demanding work, he was always focused on presenting a realistic presentation day after day to tourists and was always well received by all who witnessed his detailed accounts of our city’s early days. Dr. Watkins is also a nationally recognized 1812-era historian and whose name is often seen in books as a source expert. We are indeed fortunate he has elected to accept this demanding challenge in representing Fort Madison and hopefully will continue to impress the riverboat passengers who voted the Fort as their favorite venue. If the city can afford a boat harbor and park upgrade, it can pursue a Fort upgrade. Sincerely, Michael Killoren, creator and producer, The Building of Fort Madison: America’s First Fort on the Upper Mississippi.