Category: History
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Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
Roanoke Island, North Carolina (March 2012) We drove onto Roanoke Island from Nags Head. This is the largest island within the Sounds found between the backside of the North Carolina barrier islands and the mainland. Albemarle Sound is to the north, Pamlico Sound to the south, with the much smaller Croatan Sound to the west…
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Fort Pulaski National Monument
Tybee Island, Georgia, USA (July 2006) Fort Pulaski National Monument sits between Savannah and Tybee Island (map). There is no way to miss it while driving between the two — it is the only thing out there other than marshland. The fort has a long history but probably gained its greatest prominence during the Civil…
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Fort Pownall
Stockton Springs, Maine (August 2009) It was 1759. The French and Indian War battled across North America’s eastern interior, and the British tried to protect their colonial possessions from invasion. The Governor of Massachusetts, Thomas Pownall, considered that a fort along the the western bank of the Penobscot River on Cape Jellison would be a…
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Fort Nisqually
Portland, Oregon to Tacoma, Washington (May 13, 1998) The rain kept falling so we took our time getting ready that morning. We wandered into downtown Portland and shopped, and tried to stay warm and dry. Ed (mentioned earlier) and John (who shall also remain otherwise nameless because this is the Internet), from my employer’s Portland…
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Fort Louis
Marigot, Saint-Martin (March 2011) We saw a large hill along the shoreline as we drove down St. Martin’s western coastal road from Grand Case heading into Marigot. An old fortification graced the summit, the ruins of old Fort-Louis (map). We cut into Marigot proper and headed towards the marketplace on this Wednesday morning, arriving early…
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Fort Knox State Historic Site
Prospect, Maine (August 2009) Before I describe Fort Knox, perhaps I should clear-up something. This place shouldn’t be confused with the “famous” Fort Knox you’ve probably heard of before. You won’t find any gold here although it shares a name with the fort in Kentucky that houses the United States Bullion Depository. No, this Fort…
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Fort Delaware
Pea Patch Island, New Castle Co., Delaware (July 2000) The newly-minted United States government identified the need for a fort along the Delaware River. This would help protect the approaches to major port cities such as Wilmington, Delaware and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The military eyed Pea Patch Island, a swampy swath of river deposit that barely…
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Fort C.F. Smith
Defenses of Washington – in Arlington Co., VA (July 2009) Arlington County is fortunate to own the historic remnants of a small Civil War fort as part of a 19-acre acquisition from a private landowner in 1994. In addition to the historic fortification the park includes the restored Hendry House that is available for weddings…
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Barwell Island
Resurrection Bay; Seward, Alaska (July 2010) We rode through Resurrection Bay heading out of Seward on one of those all-day Kenai Fjords excursions. We came there to enjoy the natural beauty of the National Park, both the scenery and the animal life. The ship approached Barwell Island (map) at the opening of the bay and…
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Washington Island and Ferry
Door County, Wisconsin (September 2000) Washington Island sits within Lake Michigan off the northernmost point of the Door Peninsula. It is a continuation of the ridge that forms the peninsula except that a portion of it is submerged, so an island forms where the ridge returns to the surface. No bridge connects this island to…