Fort Knox II

By Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology

The original Fort Knox was located in the center of Vincennes, but it later moved in 1803 to the outskirts of the town because residents complained about the amount of time soldiers spent in the saloons. The original spot is identified today by an Indiana Historical Bureau historic marker.

This new fort (Fort Knox II) was manned by the U.S. Army until 1813. Not only did it give the military a better command over the river, but it also included a boat landing and spring. The Fort’s garrison increased in the intervening years to combat the growing hostilities between European settlers and local Native American populations (including a stockade from Captain Zachary Taylor). In 1811, William Henry Harrison gathered his troops at Fort Knox before marching north for the Battle of Tippecanoe against Tecumseh’s brother, The Prophet Tenskwatawa, and his followers. Following the battle, the fort served as a hospital for the injured and sick. The fort was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Map

3090 N Old Fort Knox Rd, Vincennes, IN 47591

Official Website

http://www.vincennescvb.org/attractions/16/historic/50/fort-knox-ii

Cite this Page

Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology, “Fort Knox II,” Discover Indiana, accessed July 2, 2024, https://discoverindianahistory.org/items/show/262.

Subjects

Published on Jan 24, 2018. Last updated on Apr 2, 2019.