The three badly focused, undated photographs shown here were believed to have been taken at the southern end of Gratz, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, reached from the present Spruce Street, at a recreational location known as the “Cold Spring.” A structure at that location was given the name “Fort Jackson” by residents. While it is not known for certain the reason for the name, it is believed by some that this may have been part of the practice ground for the pre-Civil War Gratztown Militia. Others have speculated that this was a stop on the Underground Railroad. African American residents of Gratz were known to have lived at Fort Jackson as tenants before and during the Civil War. Several posts have appeared on The Civil War Blog describing Fort Jackson and the possible reasons for its name. Today, all that remains of Fort Jackson, is a pile of stones in an overgrown area near the Cold Spring.
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