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The Fort Dodge Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution is an active chapter, rich in history, organized November 1903 and chartered January 1904. 

Fort Dodge is situated on the site of old Fort Dodge, a frontier out­post established by the United States government for the protection of the border settlement against the Indians. It was ordered established May 31, 1850, on the Des Moines River near the junction of the Lizard Forks, and was to be garrisoned by a company from Ft. Snelling. It was abandoned as a military post in 1853. The town of Fort Dodge was laid out in 1854.

Fort Dodge Military Post

Location: Marker for the original site of the Military Post is in the heart of the city of Fort Dodge in front of what used to be the Wahkonsa School which has been converted to the Webster County Social Services Building. This is located at the northwest corner of 1st Avenue North and North 4th Street.

History: The Fort Dodge Military Post started out as Fort Clarke in 1850 but in 1851 it was renamed to honor Henry Dodge, Governor of the Territory of Wisconsin and also their Senator who had fought in the Black Hawk War and the War of 1812.  Since the original Fort an all its barracks and other buildings occupied what is now the city section of the present town of Fort Dodge, the Fort was destroyed after it was abandoned in 1853.  In 1928, the Fort Dodge Chapter DAR placed a large boulder with an inscribed bronze tablet proclaiming the site to be that of the Military Post.  A replica of the Fort Dodge Military Post was built east of the junction of U.S. Highways 20 and 169 on the north side of the business route into Fort Dodge. It’s now called the Historical Fort and Museum and has many historical exhibits including one of the restored buildings from the old Military Post – the Old Arnold House.

Old Arnold House

Location: In Webster County at the junction of U.S. Highways 20 and 169.  Take Business Route U.S. Highway 169 East.  The Historical Fort & Museum where Old Arnold House is located is on the north side.

History: When the old Fort Dodge Military Post was abandoned in 1853, it has to be torn down immediately as the town of Fort Dodge was rapidly growing on the same site. Only one building was saved and that was the Old Arnold House which was used for quartermaster housing.  It now stands in the Historical Fort and Museum as a true representation of the Fort of the 1800s.  The Fort Dodge Chapter DAR placed a marker at the site.