Fort Beversreede

A 1655 Swedish map shows the fort on the west bank of the Schuylkill River, on Providence Island, just south of Minquas, also known as Eagle's Nest or Mingo Creek.

This was the primary trade route for furs from the Susquehannock people, and the Dutch named the trail "Beversreede" or "Beaver Road.

[6] It was not until 1655 that control of the area was regained by the Dutch in a military expedition led by Director-General of New Netherland Petrus Stuyvesant, establishing a regional capital at New Amstel.

Widening of the Schuylkill's channel, subsequent land reclamation, as well as other transportation and industrial infrastructure have dramatically changed the area.

But the site of the forts (whether on the east or west bank of the Schuylkill) is probably south of the mouth of Mingo Creek and north of the George C. Platt Bridge.

Forts along the Delaware River in the 1600s. Short-lived Beversreede was supplanted by Fort Nya Korsholm (upper right)
A 1770s map showing a fort on Province Island (top)
An 1891 map showing the confluence of the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers, site of most upstream Dutch and Swedish forts
A black, circular seal with a notched, outer border. The center contains a shield or crest with a crown atop it. In the shield is a beaver. Surrounding the shield are the words "SIGILLVM NOVI BELGII".