By Dack9 - Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90841417
The cache is NOT at the posted coordinates.
At the beginning of the Eighty Years’ War, Spain controlled the Dutch city of Groningen and the passage to Germany. William the Silent, who instigated the Dutch Revolt, ordered Fort Bourtange built in the area. Completed in 1593, it included a network of canals and lakes to be used as moats.
The fort was attacked twice. First, Spanish forces besieged it shortly after construction, but were unable to overtake it. Nearly one hundred years later, invading forces from France’s German allies during the Franco-Dutch War captured a number of cities and towns in the northern Netherlands. They demanded surrender, but the fort’s governor refused. A battle ensued, but was again repelled successfully.
In the mid 19th century, the fort was converted into a village, but deteriorated with time. In 1960, the local government elected to restore the fort and convert it into a historical museum.
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De cache ligt op het noorden vierenveertig zesentwintig punt vier negen negen en west vierennegentig zevenendertig punt zes vier negen.
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One of the oldest roads in the state, Fort Road was originally built by the federal government after Fort Ridgely was completed in 1853-54. Supplies were shipped from Fort Snelling to Traverse des Sioux, then transported by wagon to Fort Ridgely.
Nicollet County Road 5 runs more than 42 miles from its eastern terminus at its intersection with US Highway 169 in St Peter to the Renville County line. Old Fort Road presumably extended from Traverse des Sioux, although the portion running through the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College has been blocked off. Fort Road as an address runs from the western edge of St Peter to the end of CR-5.
In an ideal world, a paved trail would have been installed when the road was refurbished in the early 2010s. This planned geocache trail will have to suffice, but won’t alleviate my anxiety when biking here.