Fort Atkinson,IA Fire Department

06/21/2026

Happy Father’s Day

06/20/2026

🇺🇸180 Years Ago Today!🇺🇸

Iowa Time Machine ⏰: On June 20, 1846, the United States Army sent orders to Fort Atkinson for the garrison to prepare to depart for service in the Mexican-American War. Temporarily staffed by volunteers from the Iowa militia, the United States Army called Fort Atkinson on the Turkey River home from 1840 until abandonment in the winter of 1849.

The Multinational Treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1830 created a 40-mile-wide strip stretching from Lacrosse, Wisconsin, into north central Iowa to serve as a ‘Neutral Ground’ between the Sauk and Meskwaki and the Dakota. As the government dispossessed the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) from Wisconsin, officials decided the tribe would occupy the ‘Neutral Ground.’ To help monitor and protect the tribe, the United States founded Fort Atkinson on the Turkey River.

Captain Lynde led Company F, 5th United States Infantry, to the site in May 1840. Company B of the 1st United States Dragoons arrived in June to assist in the Ho-Chunk resettlement. Named for the government official, Henry Atkinson, charged with dispossessing the Ho-Chunk, construction of the fort took place until June 1842. At its peak in 1842, the fort hosted 196 soldiers and represented American power in the region as settlement spread west. A base point for exploratory expeditions on the edge of America during the 1840s, the fort saw the garrison depart to serve in the Mexican-American War in June 1846. The following month, Morgan’s Iowa Volunteer Infantry arrived to staff the fort for the duration of the conflict.

When the government pushed the Ho-Chunk out of Iowa and into Minnesota in 1848, the need for a military presence in the region waned. By February 1849, the last soldiers had departed, leaving the site abandoned. Iowa acquired the fort site in 1921, and in 1958, reconstruction enabled it to serve as a geological, archaeological, and historical state preserve. Home to the annual Fort Atkinson Rendezvous, the site offers a view into Iowa’s past.

06/13/2026

Hey everyone its Einwalters birthday.

06/12/2026

Thank you so the recent donation from AcenTek. We appreciate it. Jim Levi and the members of FAFD.

06/11/2026

Hey everyone it’s Ron’s birthday today.

06/10/2026

Hey everyone let’s wish Dave N a happy birthday.

06/07/2026

Anyone wanting to help please contact Kay as she is making the schedule. Looking forward to a good time.

06/06/2026

05/31/2026

On Saturday May 30 at 18:09, the Fort Atkinson Fire Department was paged to a fully engulfed railroad bridge between County Road W14 and Roger’s Creek Rd near the city limits of Fort Atkinson. Fire crews remained on scene for roughly 4 hours to contain the fire. Assisting at the scene was Calmar Fire and Rescue , Winneshiek County Sheriff's Office, and Railroad personal.

05/28/2026

Due to the electrical work at the station today, the timers got off set. That is why the fire whistle went off. Everything is OK. 10 pm 5-26-2026