The Old Fort Madison is making a comeback

FORT MADISON - The town’s most significant historical landmark, the Old Fort Madison replica is on the verge of a rebirth.
Under the leadership of longtime historian, former attorney, and Navy veteran, Bill Napier, the Old Fort Madison Preservation nonprofit is fighting to save and restore the replica of Iowa’s very first military outpost and make a new Living History Center.  To help raise money for the  restoration project, they will start taking orders for their ‘$25 beef and veggie enchiladas by the dozen’ sale through Monday, September 15th. The enchiladas will be picked up on October 4th.
“The point of it is that it's an opportunity for us to engage the community, to remind them that we're alive and well, and we have a great future ahead of us. And we want them to feel a part of it,” Napier said.. 
The Old Fort Madison Preservation nonprofit has completed the budget for reconstruction and operations, and Napier is scheduled to meet with the city council on October 21st to present his updated business plan.
Fundraisers like the enchilada sale will help engage the community with raising awareness, but it will not cover full costs.
Napier said the fort’s roof replacements are currently underway, for areas like the officer’s quarters. He said plans also include raising the fort a few feet out of the floodplain, to prevent flood damage. There will also be a replacement of the Palisade stockade. They are working with one of the country's big experts on  the block houses and enlisted men's quarters restoration. The goal of this project is  to restore the replica to how the fort appeared in the 1800s, but with modern durability and accessibility. The new living History Center building will stand where the old factory building was, with plans to make it ADA accessible, modern restrooms,  exhibition space, and year-round use.
Because the previous fort had structural damage that made it unsafe to tour,  Napier is making sure that this reconstruction effort makes the fort built to last for decades without major repairs. Napier is excited to attract river cruise lines and more visitors throughout the year as compared to before when the fort was running.
“From St. Paul to St. Louis, there's no other place along the river that has the drama of American history that Fort Madison has… this will be such a great addition, or really a continuation of Fort Madison,” Napier said. He, along with about 30 other concerned residents of Fort Madison, met at Riverview Park and the Fort Madison Library, and created the Old Fort Madison Preservation organization in 2024. This was after the city said it would no longer maintain the fort and asked for a volunteer effort.
Since coming fresh off a Navy boat in 1963, Napier has been tied to the Old Fort Madison. After archaeologists discovered remnants of the original fort,  it sparked interest in preserving the fort. So, Napier, George Alton, Bernie Hesse, and Louis Cook formed a group called the Old Fort Madison Corporation to  maintain the fort's history and reconstruct the first replica of Fort Madison, realizing that reliving its own history could liven up the reticent town.
He took Alton’s place as president and in the '80s, the city built the replica of the original fort via inmate labor from the Iowa State Penitentiary along with city funding. 

Built in the early 1800s, the original Old Fort Madison had played a key role in the War of 1812 and the early expansion of the United States west of the Mississippi. Black Hawk, the Native American leader of the Sauk tribe, actually fought at the fort. Native American alliances with the British and a lack of resources were the primary reasons for the abandonment of the fort.
“People fought and died here for their country. Twenty-three are memorialized here as having given their lives in support of our country. It is the gateway, the beginning of the state of Iowa. There were soldiers that served with Lewis and Clark that also served in Fort Madison. And it goes on and on,” said Napier, who emphasized the fort’s broad historical significance.
The fort ultimately represents the beginning of U.S. authority in the upper Mississippi frontier, serving as frontier defense and a trading post with the Native Americans.
Reawakening the town's awareness of its foundational history could attract history buffs who won't find a more immersive experience in any other part of Iowa, 

ENCHILADA SALE INFO:
Fort Madison Preservation Inc., the local nonprofit raising money to restore and reopen Old Fort Madison, as well as construct a new Living History Center, is selling enchiladas by the dozen.
Cost is $25 per dozen for veggie enchiladas and $27 for beef enchiladas.
Orders are being taken through Monday, Sept. 15. The orders must be pre-paid and will be made at the Fort Madison Elks Lodge on Saturday Oct. 4. Orders are to be picked up 12-8 p.m. that day.
To order, call or text OFMP Board Secretary Robin Delaney at 319-470-3642.