Forgotten Forts Series - Fort Ontario

NFB22

Sergeant Major
Joined
Jun 21, 2012
Location
Louisville, KY
Fort Ontario is a 5 bastioned masonry and earthwork fortification located in Oswego, New York. It is situated on a small hill at the mouth of the Oswego River on the shores of Lake Ontario. Construction of the present day Fort Ontario began sometime in 1838 or 39 on the site of previous fortifications, the last being destroyed by British forces during the War of 1812. The fort is named for Lake Ontario and when viewed from above looks very similar to the much more well known Fort McHenry.
fort-Oevhead-pic-04_2_Aa_.jpg

When the fort was completed in the 1840s it was an earthern and timber fortification with it's earthern walls sloping outward into the moat around the fort as well as a V shaped earthwork battery facing inland in case of a land assault. With the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861 and the uncertainty of Great Britains entrance into the war federal troops were sent to reinforce Fort Ontario as well as update the fort. The earthern walls were destroyed to make room for vertical walls which contained casemates for new artillery although most artillery from the fort was removed to be sent south in late 1861 and 1862. The post had already contained a storehouse, barracks, officers quarters and a magazine within its walls but with the Civil War two new guardhouses were built flanking the new the sally port into the fort, one of which contained a small jail/prison. The fort however never saw action during the war although construction continued through the end of the war.
Fort_Ontario_-_024.jpg

Although all improvements regarding the walls and casemates were completed in Fort Ontario the war demonstrated that masonry walls could no longer stand up to new rifled artillery and the government slowly cut funding for the post. The post was briefly put into caretaker status until it was once again used by the U.S. Army in the early 1900s. The old fort itself was all but abandoned as the post flooded outside the walls to take on a more open post look as was common in the time. The fort saw use all the way through World War II when it was used as a refugee camp for European Jews fleeing the war and the Nazi Holocaust.
800px-Fort_Ontario_-_113.jpg

In 1946 the site was transferred to the state of New York to house veterans until 1949 and the formation of the Fort Ontario State Historic Site. The fort was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and remains open to the public today for a small fee except during the winter when the site shut down. The fort is mostly restored to it's post-Civil War look and visitors can tour the casemates, post buildings and parade ground. There are also many reenactments and activities on the site grounds every summer.

http://fortoswego.com/

Also be sure to check out all other "forgotten forts" in the Forgotten Forts Series Index (Link Below)
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/forgotten-forts-series-index.80901/
 
makes you want to jump in the old truck and go see it.

One of these days I am going to jump in my truck and head east along the Great Lakes, a lot of sites along there. Fort Meigs, Fort Ontario, Fort Niagara and more. Then up on the Canadian side you have Fort George, Fort York, Fort Henry, Fort Mississauga and others.
 
One of these days I am going to jump in my truck and head east along the Great Lakes, a lot of sites along there. Fort Meigs, Fort Ontario, Fort Niagara and more. Then up on the Canadian side you have Fort George, Fort York, Fort Henry, Fort Mississauga and others.
I have seen most of those. The most impressive programs were at Fort Henry in Kingston Ontario. I don't know if they still have the Fort Henry Guard doing the full daily programs in the 1867 British Regular uniforms, but the evening tattoo was very elaborate.
 
The old fort itself was all but abandoned as the post flooded outside the walls to take on a more open post look as was common in the time. The fort saw use all the way through World War II when it was used as a refugee camp for European Jews fleeing the war and the Nazi Holocaust.
View attachment 38523
In 1946 the site was transferred to the state of New York to house veterans until 1949 and the formation of the Fort Ontario State Historic Site. The fort was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 and remains open to the public today for a small fee except during the winter when the site shut down. The fort is mostly restored to it's post-Civil War look and visitors can tour the casemates, post buildings and parade ground. There are also many reenactments and activities on the site grounds every summer.

http://fortoswego.com/

Also be sure to check out all other "forgotten forts" in the Forgotten Forts Series Index (Link Below)
http://civilwartalk.com/threads/forgotten-forts-series-index.80901/

I saw a recent exhibit on the fort during the Second World War and it was depicted less as a refugee camp and more as a place that Jews were interned.
 
I have seen most of those. The most impressive programs were at Fort Henry in Kingston Ontario. I don't know if they still have the Fort Henry Guard doing the full daily programs in the 1867 British Regular uniforms, but the evening tattoo was very elaborate.

I've only ventured up to Mackinac Island to see Fort Mackinac and Michilimackinac, also to Detroit to see Fort Wayne. All the forts on the eastern great lakes I have yet to explor but I'll get around to it eventually I hope.
 
I visited this one on a family trip many years go very nice fort they had a living history day going on
 
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