Kensington Runestone Museum, Alexandria Minnesota

Untitled Document

Early settlers traveled by Red River ox carts reaching Alexandria on a newly cut government road, stretching from St. Paul to the Canadian border. Fort Alexandria is a nearly exact replica of the old stockade, which was built in 1862 by the Eighth regular infantry on order of the Governor of Minnesota. The original location of the fort was two blocks east of this site.
	Fort Alexandria was the means of security as pioneers returned to this area following the Dakota Conflict 1860. It was the center of social and commercial activity for the whole region. J.H. Van Dyke built the log general store and post office. The log cabin, a church, a school, a blacksmith shop, a washhouse, and a smokehouse were added as the population grew.
The general store depicts the atmosphere of a local merchant's store, with many of the essentials necessary to the settlers living within the walls of the stockade. The log cabin is a single room with a sleeping loft. The furnishings are similar to the family's crowded living condition.
	The school is an actual one-room schoolhouse from District #5, donated by Moe Township. The blacksmith ship contains many of the original tools of the trade for upkeep of the equipment of the early settlers. The log church was built with logs from Carlos Township, originally belonging to the Ole Stedje family.