Post by Diane Merkel on Jun 10, 2007 10:36:38 GMT -6
There were fears of Native American uprisings in west central Minnesota ever since the 1862 Sioux rebellion.
Fourteen years later, those fears were reinforced after Custer’s defeat.
The killing of Gen. George A. Custer, 16 officers and 242 soldiers at the Battle of the Little Big Horn in June 1876 in Montana prompted area residents to construct Fort Juelson near Underwood.
While many pioneers fled the farm areas for larger communities such as Fergus Falls and Alexandria, many residents near Underwood decided to stand firm and build a fort under the direction of Hans Juelson and Berg O’Lee.
The walls of Fort Juelson, named in honor of Hans Juelson, were about 4-1/2 feet high and four feet thick.
Built from sod cut by a plow, the fort was situated on a commanding position atop the hill. The fortification was 120 by 100 feet in size.
Article: www.fergusfallsjournal.com/news/2007/jun/09/underwoods-fort-juelson-was-response-native-americ/