Ohio History Journal

Minutes of Forty-second Annual Meeting       623

 

Mr. Smith thinks no executor has been appointed up to this time.

He will learn definitely in regard to this soon. If the Society

thinks it of sufficient importance to acquire the Mound, now is

the time to institute active measures.

(Signed)    B. F. PRINCE,

Chairman.

 

FORT LAURENS PARK

The situation at Fort Laurens Park, one mile east of Bolivar,

Ohio, has been unsatisfactory for a long time. Very little has

been done since the building, some years ago, of the park house,

which got in very bad repair, until it was learned early this sum-

mer that there was a balance of about $1400.00 of the last appro-

priation by the State Legislature, which remained unexpended.

Steps were taken at once to have these funds used for repair of

the park building and work on the driveways. This work was

done under direction of Mr. Harry Lash, local member of the

committee at Bolivar, in conjunction with Mr. Clarence J. Lebold,

of Bolivar, who was recently nominated for membership on the

committee to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Colonel W.

L. Curry.

The last Legislature made an additional appropriation for the

improvement of the Park through the efforts of the Representa-

tive, Charles T. Greenlee, of Tuscarawas County, which will put

the Society in position to lay the Park out with some landscape

gardening and beautify it with trees.

It is also planned to employ a caretaker at a moderate salary

who will occupy the park house and keep it in respectable condi-

tion. After the proposed improvements are made, funds should be

provided for the erection of an appropriate monument near the

highway and the site of the fort, bearing an inscription setting

forth briefly the history of Fort Laurens. It is probable that

aid could be secured from the United States Congress to this end.

(Signed) EDWIN D. MOODY

 

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FORT MEIGS,

FORT MIAMI AND FALLEN TIMBERS

FORT MEIGS:

While the restoration of Fort Meigs was initiated by the

people of the neighboring Village of Perrysburg, the preservation

and maintenance of this historic site is in charge of a special com-

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624       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications

 

mittee appointed by the Governor, known as the Fort Meigs Com-

mission.

The property is in fine shape and is well cared for. It at-

tracts thousands of visitors during each of the four seasons. The

beautiful granite shaft, erected by the State of Ohio, and the

more modest, but very appropriate monument to the memory

of the "Pittsburgh Blues," erected by the Pennsylvania Historical

Society, attract much favorable comment.

It is to be regretted that the county authorities, in earlier

days, deemed it necessary to construct a highway through the

center of this reservation, and to cut the otherwise well preserved

ramparts in two places.

FORT MIAMI:

The acquisition of the site of this old Fortress and its com-

plete restoration is the work of the future. The conditions here

are the same as set forth in our last report.

FALLEN TIMBERS:

During the past year, much has been accomplished, looking to

the proper monumenting of this Battlefield and at the same time

honoring the memory of Anthony Wayne, the great soldier and

statesman.

Under date of March 30th, 1927, a contract was entered into

with Bruce Wilder Saville, of New York, for the design of a

granite pedestal, properly embellished with bronze reliefs on the

four sides and erected in the center of the 2.29-acre tract, hereto-

fore donated to the State of Ohio, by Miss Clarissa Cook Moor,

owner of the adjoining property.

The total appropriations by the Legislature, prior to the exe-

cution of this contract, and available for this work, aggregated

$17,000. Of this amount, there has been expended, to date, ap-

proximately $12,000 for the monument and $5,000 for a driveway

to the site. This latter work was undertaken by the State High-

way Department and is not yet completed.

The monument was erected in November, 1927, and is pro-

nounced by all, who have seen it, to be a most beautiful work of

art. The four bronze reliefs represent: (a) "The Eternal Conflict

between the Whites and the Indians"; (b) "The Battle of Fallen

Timbers"; (c) "The Treaty at Greenville"; and (d) "Peace at

Last." The four inscriptions in bronze lettering read as follows:

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Minutes of Forty-second Annual Meeting       625

Front Inscription:

"To General Anthony Wayne, who organized the

'Legion of the United States' by order of President

Washington and defeated Chief Little Turtle's

Warriors here at Fallen Timbers, August 20, 1794.

This victory led to the Treaty of Greenville, August

3, 1795, which opened much of the present State of

Ohio to white settlers."

Left Inscription:

"In memory of the white settlers massacred 1783-

1794."

Back Inscription:

"To Chief Little Turtle and his brave Indian War-

riors."

Right Inscription:

"To the Pioneers of Ohio and the great Northwest."

As indicated in a previous report, it is the plan of your

Committee to surmount the granite pedestal, now completed, with

a bronze group with Anthony Wayne as a central figure, a

Pioneer Settler on one side and an Indian Warrior on the other.

The estimated cost of this heroic bronze, together with the com-

pletion of the landscaping, planting, road and fence building, is

$25,000. For this work the 87th General Assembly appropriated

$15,000 and it is the hope and expectation of your Committee to

raise the necessary $10,000 additional among the patriotic citizens

of Toledo. Meanwhile, we have requested Sculptor Saville to

undertake the necessary preliminary studies for the bronze group

in question.

Respectfully submitted,

W. J. SHERMAN,

Chairman of Committee on Fort Meigs,

Fort Miami and Fallen Timbers.

 

FORT MEIGS

The Secretary has also received from George J. Munger, Sec-

retary of the Board of Trustees of the Fort Meigs Memorial Com-

mission, a communication which reads in part as follows:

"We have in our care and charge, on the old Fort Meigs

Grounds and Park, which is state property, a large number of

Vol. XXXVI--40.

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