Reference my earlier blog post Two of my Favorite Train Vacations.

As of June 26, 2020, the Kingsley Inn has been host to the newest Virtual Railfan live camera. When you click the video link, you will be able to watch the live camera feed on the BNSF swing bridge, the railway leading past the Kingsley Inn, and the northeast and southwest views of the Mississippi River.

History of Swing Bridge — it’s not replaced yet….

The Kingsley Inn and Guest House

In Fort Madison, you will notice the location of the fort’s central blockhouse and the foundations of officers’ quarters beside the Riverview Park (which is a bass fishing area). The Fort Madison Santa Fe Depot Museum is south of this and nearby is the BNSF switchyard.

Chief Black Hawk

Fort Madison was named for James Madison, the fourth President of the United States, and was the site of a battle between Chief Black Hawk and U.S. Army troops during the War of 1812. In his autobiography, Chief Black Hawk lamented the construction of the fort, saying, “…[we] understood from them that the war chief had said they were building homes for a trader who was coming there to live, and would sell us goods very cheap, and that the soldiers were to remain there to keep him company. We were pleased…but not so credulous as to believe that all these buildings were intended merely for the accommodation of a trader. Being distrustful of their intentions, we were anxious for them to leave off building and go back down the river.”

As the war went on, and after several attacks and a final siege, the Army troops abandoned the fort. Later, Chief Black Hawk came to see the ruins and said, “We started in canoes, and descended the Mississippi, until we arrived near the place where Fort Madison had stood. It had been abandoned and burned by the whites, and nothing remained but the chimneys. We were pleased to see that the white people had retired from the country.”(Wikipedia)

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River as seen from Riverview Park in Fort Madison, Iowa. Spanning the Mississippi River and linking Iowa Highway 2 with Illinois Route 9, Fort Madison, Lee County, Iowa/Hancock County, Illinois. (Jose De La Rose)