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Hilton Beach in Algoma District, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
 

Inside the Walls/À l'intérieur des remparts

Fort Saint Joseph National Historic Site

 
 
Inside the Walls/À l'intérieur des remparts Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 10, 2024
1. Inside the Walls/À l'intérieur des remparts Marker
Inscription.  
[EnglishInside the Walls
You are standing at the back gate to the fort. Picture a palisade made of 4-metre (13-foot) tall cedar posts forming a wall around the fort. They say the palisade served two purposes — to keep enemies out and unhappy soldiers in.

As you explore the ruins, imagine the life of the roughly 45 men and women living here. There were few comforts within these walls.

Just 18
Spring 1798 — Lieutenant George Landmann arrived at St. Joseph Island. He was the engineer sent to complete the construction of the new fort. He was just 18. “I was politely received...” writes Landmann in his journal. Perhaps that was more to do with his rank than experience. While here, Landmann developed a close friendship with Caw Gaw Guichin (Little Crow), Chief of the Albacroch. He describes the Chief as “...a very extraordinary fellow, exceedingly brave... a remarkably keen observer...” Caw Gaw Guichin must have seen something in this 18-year-old for he was given a great honour. Landmann writes that with great ceremony the Chief formally “... adopted me as his brother...”.

The Palisade
• Built between 1799 and 1802.
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Four planned gun platforms never built.
• Winter 1811 a violent windstorm blew down the northwest side.
• Americans burned remaining walls in 1814.


[FrançaisÀ l'intérieur des remparts
Vous vous trouvez actuellement au portail arrière du fort. Tentez de visualiser une palissade composée de poteaux de cèdre de 4 m (13 pi) de haut formant un mur autour du bâtiment. On dit qu'elle avait deux fonctions, soit de garder les ennemis hors du fort et d'empêcher les soldats malheureux de s'enfuir.

Tandis que vous explorez les ruines, imaginez-vous la vie des quelque 45 femmes et hommes ayant résidé en ces lieux. Entre ces murs, on ne vivait pas dans le confort.

Tout juste majeur
Printemps 1798 — Le Lieutenant George Landmann arrive à l'île St. Joseph. Il est l'ingénieur chargé de terminer la construction du nouveau fort. Il a seulement 18 ans. Dans son journal, Landmann écrit qu'il a été reçu avec courtoisie. Cet accueil poli avait peut-être plus à voir avec son grade qu'avec son expérience. Pendant son séjour, Landmann devient un ami intime de Caw Gaw Guichin (Petit Corbeau), le chef du peuple albacroch. Il indique que celui-ci est un compagnon
Marker detail: Fort Saint Joseph National Historic Site image. Click for full size.
2. Marker detail: Fort Saint Joseph National Historic Site
extraordinaire d'une extrême bravoure au sens de l'observation remarquable. Caw Gaw Guichin doit avoir remarqué des qualités hors du commun chez le jeune homme de 18 ans, car ce dernier s'est vu conférer un grand honneur. En effet, Landmann écrit que le chef a officiellement fait de lui son frère dans le cadre d'une grande cérémonie.

La palissade
• Elle a été construite entre 1799 et 1802.
• Quatre plateformes de pièce qui devaient y être ajoutées n'ont jamais été bâties.
• En hiver 1811, une violente tempête de vent a causé l'effondrement du côté nord-ouest de la palissade.
• Les murs restants ont été brûlés par les Américains en 1814.

 
Erected by Parks Canada / Parcs Canada.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and CastlesIndigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical year for this entry is 1798.
 
Location. 46° 3.809′ N, 83° 56.774′ W. Marker is in Hilton Beach, Ontario, in Algoma District. It can be reached from Fort Road 4.8 kilometers west of A Line Road. The marker is on the Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site interpretive trail. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this
Inside the Walls/À l'intérieur des remparts Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, June 10, 2024
3. Inside the Walls/À l'intérieur des remparts Marker
Looking south across the Fort Saint Joseph National Historic Site.
postal address: 185 Fort Road, Hilton Beach ON P0R 1G0, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma Area and in Northern Ontario. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, in the Great North Woods, on the Great Lakes, on Lake Superior’s North Shore, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Major Intersection/Une intersection importante (here, next to this marker); Land of Little Comfort/Un Territoire offrant peu de confort (a few steps from this marker); Build it Better/Une construction améliorée (within shouting distance of this marker); Want to be a Soldier?/Vous voulez être un soldat? (within shouting distance of this marker); The Importance of Friends/L'importance des amis (within shouting distance of this marker); Black Hole or Flogging/Le trou noir, ou le fouet?
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(within shouting distance of this marker); Making Do/Se débrouiller avec les moyens du bord (within shouting distance of this marker); What's the Story?/Histoire de la cheminée (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hilton Beach.
 
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Fort Saint Joseph National Historic Site
 
Also see . . .  Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site (Parks Canada).
Excerpt:  Explore the ruins of Fort St. Joseph National Historic Site and feel the rich War of 1812 history that lingers – a history that saw a powerful alliance struck between the British and the First Nations People of the western Great Lakes region.
(Submitted on August 31, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.) 
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on September 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 30, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 8 times since then. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on August 31, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
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Sep. 2, 2026