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 History of Jacob Zumwalt's Fort (1)
Addendum and Correction
Excavation Features, Fall of 2005 (1)
Discussion of 2005 Archaeological Excavation (1)
Results of Excavation of Southern Portion of Site, 2006 (2)
Outbuildings and Yard Features (2)
Conclusion of Archaeological Excavation (2)
(1) Harl, Joe, Archaeological Research Center of St. Louis, Inc., "Archaeological Investigation at Fort Zumwalt" (23SC2092), Research Report #350/375, April, 2006.
(2) Harl, Joe, Archaeological Research Center of St. Louis, Inc., "Archaeological Investigation of the Southern Addition to Fort Zumwalt: Insights into the Role of Slaves and Women During the Second Half of the 19th Century," Research Report #383, March, 2007.
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Zumwalt Research Books Donated |
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Betty Leary and daughter Cheryl Tevis of O'Fallon, Missouri have donated a copy of their research to the O'Fallon, Missouri Historical Society. Descendants of both Jacob and Christopher, their work, The Ancestors of Andrew J. Zumwalt of Callaway, Boone and Benton Counties, Missouri, represents more than a decade of meticulous and well-documented research. They have also donated a copy of One Zumwalt Family compiled by Helynn Carrier, published in 1995. If anyone has a question they would like to have searched in one of these volumes, the Foundation members would be happy to oblige.
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The Decline of Zumwalt’s Fort |
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The dream of seeing Jacob Zumwalt’s Fort rebuilt has a long history of its own—much longer than we sometimes like to admit. Long before the Fort crumbled to an unrecognizable shape, local historians were pleading for its restoration.
Miss Marcia Williams, whose family purchased and lived in the former Woodlawn Seminary following the cyclone of 1915, was the Fort’s first known local advocate. Interestingly, however, in an early article that appeared on the fort, she credits Rose Lane Wilder with being the first to suggest its restoration. The daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rose was a writer herself, best known for her early biography of Jack London. We have no way of knowing what happened for Miss Marcia (as she was known by all in O’Fallon) to give Miss Wilder this credit, but considering her passion for the West and her fierce libertarian views, (Miss Wilder rejected her social security checks as a form of socialism) it’s not difficult to imagine that she just might have been a fan of our own Jacob Zumwalt.
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Read more...
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Was Zumwalt’s Fort a military post? |
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No, it was the home of the Zumwalt family. During the War of 1812, when threatened by attack, local families came to this house for mutual protection. It became an important local landmark, commonly called Zumwalt’s Fort or known as Fort Zumwalt today. Although used as a refuge several times, there is no evidence that it was ever attacked.
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Did frontier settlers of Missouri eat off wooden or pewter plates? |
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No, they typically ate off the most recent table settings of cream-wares and pearl-wares. These pieces were often highly decorated. More surprisingly, the dinner sets came from England, which was at war with the U.S. for much of the late 1700s to the early 1800s. They had a very diverse diet, dominated by corn and hogs.
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Did early settlers drink tea from delicate tea sets? |
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Yes, English tea sets have been found even at the most remote frontier settlements. Tea drinking was most important because of its social aspects. By having tea sets, frontier women could properly entertain guests, but the tea sets also brought a bit of comfort, familiarity, and “civilization” to these remote and frightening places.
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