In 1808, the U.S. Army established Fort Madison to assert American influence of and conduct trade with the Indians living in the Upper Mississippi region. Old Fort Madison is a reconstruction of the fort and is located in Riverview Park just to the west of the fort's original location. It features several structures including soldiers barracks, blockhouses, and a palisade wall. There is also a working cannon in the center of the fort. Old Fort Madison is also a living history attraction. Visitors can interact with historical interpreters who are dressed soldier's uniforms and other types of period clothing. The soldiers perform musket fire demonstrations and the fort hosts special events such as a reenactment of the siege of September 1812. The original fort site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Housed in the former the 1910 Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Passenger Railroad (Santa Fe) depot, the North Lee County Historical Society explores the history of the area through its exhibits containing documents, artifacts, and photographs. The Society also operates a transportation museum in the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q) depot located just to the north, the Old Lee County Jail, and a one-room schoolhouse called Brush College located north of the city. Attached to the Santa Fe depot building is a Railway Express Agency building erected in 1926. Next to that is the Santa Fe Railroad office building which was constructed in 1934. A red Santa Fe caboose is on display next to the depot, and a 1944 steam locomotive is on display a short distance to the east. The depot is an excellent example of Mission Revival architecture. The Santa Fe buildings are listed together on the National Register of Historic Places as the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Passenger and Freight Complex Historic District.
The Lee County Courthouse was built in 1842 and is one of two courthouses in Lee County, which is divided into North Lee and South Lee. Lee County is the only county in Iowa two have two county seats (the other is Keokuk). The courthouse serves North Lee and is one of the oldest continuously used courthouses in the state. A relatively simple example of Greek Revival architecture, it is built of brick and two-stories tall. Its most prominent feature is the portico with Doric columns and a pediment. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
This historic home was built by Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Joseph M. Beck (1823-1893) in 1869. Beck served on the court from 1868 to 1891 and was chief justice for five of those years. He is known for supporting the civil rights of African Americans in five cases. The most notable of these was the Coger vs. The Northwest Union Packet Company case in 1873. African American teacher Emma Lane Coger was traveling on a company steamboat and was forcibly removed from her table in the boat's first-class dining room. Beck wrote the court's opinion in favor of her case stating that the a person of color is entitled to the same rights as a white person and cannot be compelled to accept accommodations different than that of a white person. The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 and remains a private residence.
St. Mary and Joseph Catholic Church was built in 1871 and is a striking example of Gothic Revival architecture. Its most prominent feature is the large tower that reaches a height of 212 feet. Other notable features include buttresses, lancet windows, and a pointed arch main entrance. The church is one of two churches comprising Holy Family Parish, which belongs to the Diocese of Davenport (the other church is Sacred Heart Church). St. Mary and Joseph was established in the 1990s when St. Joseph Church and St. Mary of Assumption Church merged.
This Tour is a Walking Tour.
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This short walk begins at the Old Fort Madison historic site and then moves on to the North Lee County Historical Society. The tour continues on to the Lee County Courthouse and the historic home of Chief Justice Joseph M. Beck before concluding at St. Mary and Joseph Catholic Church.
