The original Fort Madison is located under a parking lot on the east side of Fort Madison, Iowa. Occupied 1808-1813, Fort Madison was the first U.S. military fort in the Upper Mississippi, the scene of the only War of 1812 battle west of the Mississippi, the location were Black Hawk first fought with the U.S., the scene of the only military battle fought in Iowa, and the probable place of the oldest U.S. military cemetery in the upper Mississippi. For these reasons it is arguably the single most important historic site in Iowa, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Excavations in 1965 demonstrated that much of the fort remains intact below the parking lot. Despite its importance, it is in danger. It has been purchased by developers and there is no legal way to force them to protect the site, and they have not made any commitment to preserving it. After months of failed attempts to get the site preserved, we are now trying to rally public support for preservation. The ultimate goal is to get the site transformed from a parking lot into a park recognizing its historic importance to U.S. history and Native Americans and memorializing the soldiers who fought, died, and were buried there.