Fort Conti

Fort Conti, 1679, Niagara County, Youngstown. On site of 1669 Fort La Salle. Two log blockhouses, 40 foot square connected by palisades, was built January 14-15, 1679 by Captain Robert Cavelier de La Salle. The post was named Fort Conti after Louis Armand de Bourbon, Prince of Conti, a patron of La Salle's lieutenant, Henri de Tonty. Also built was a barracks and warehouse 7 miles upriver at the foot of the gorge former site of Fort Hennepin 1678 (later site of Joncaire's blockhouse 1721) and an upper camp for shipbuilding at the end of the portage above the rapids at Cayuga Creek (near later site of Fort Little Niagara 1745). Attacked in November by Seneca Indians the occupants escaped and the fort was burned (other accounts say carelessness caused the fire and abandonment). Although La Salle may have used the portage in 1682-3, no attempt to rebuild was made until 1687 as Fort de Nonville.

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