By Andy Mitchell (Amitch) - Own work, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1158105
The island that became Fort Denison was originally called Rock Island. In 1788, convict Thomas Hill was sentenced to a week on bread and water there; other convicts leveled it to use the sandstone for construction elsewhere. In late 1796, convict Francis Morgan was hanged and then gibbeted there.
After two American warships entered the harbour and circled the island, the civil engineer Captain George Barney recommended establishment of a fort. This began in 1841, but was not completed until after 1855 and a fear of Russian attack. The fort was officially named after Sir William Thomas Denison, then Governor of New South Wales.
The fort has a Martello tower, which is the most complete remaining in the world. It originally had three 8-inch muzzle loaders, two 10-inch guns, and twelve 32-pound cannons. Unfortunately, the fort was obsolete by the time it was completed, and all but the 8-inch guns were removed.
The fort is part of Sydney Harbor National Park and has undergone restoration efforts since 1992. As of 2024, it is closed for conservation and ongoing maintenance. The lighthouse atop the tower remains active.
Source: Wikipedia
-----
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.