Ohio History Journal

MAUMEE VALLEY TRAVEL TOUR

 

By MAUMEE VALLEY INTERNATIONAL HISTORICAL CONVENTION

 

From

From Toledo                                                                                                                                            Fort Wayne

Miles                                                                                                                                                Miles

0.00      Commodore Perry Hotel, Toledo,                                                                                  106.9

Superior Street entrance. South 1/2 block to

Monroe Street. Turn right (W) 2 blocks to

Erie Street. Turn left (S. on Erie Street)

5 blocks across Swan Creek to Anthony

Wayne Memorial Trail.

0.9      Anthony Wayne Memorial Trail.                   106.0

Turn right on Anthony Wayne Memorial

Trail which is a new super-highway con-

structed upon the bed of the old historic

Miami & Erie Canal. This canal was con-

structed around 1845, operated until about 1909.

The same was purchased by the city of To-

ledo from the State of Ohio in 1923, drained

of its water in 1929 and for the last 11 years,

the super-highway over which you will travel

has been in the course of construction. Ap-

proximately 16 miles is in this program. Drive

over this super-highway to Detroit Avenue.

6.6       Detroit Avenue.                                 100.3

Turn left on Detroit Avenue (S. E.) to

River road.

7.3       River Road                                      99.6

Turn right on River Road to Fort Miami.

7.6       Fort Miami                                      99.3

At this point, drive 700 feet southeast. You

will then be upon the original enclosure of

Fort Miami. There is a question as to the

veracity of the following information regard-

ing the fort. It was supposedly erected in

1680, the oldest fortified trading post in the

mid-West. Here flew the flags of France in

1680, Great Britain in 1760 and the United

States in 1796. It is known that Commodore

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From

From Toledo                                                                                                                                         Fort Wayne

Miles                                                                                                                                            Miles

Grant reported that he built a temporary

stockade here and left ten men to hold it

against one hundred. It was reoccupied and

rebuilt by the British in 1793 and held until

1796 at which time (July 11) it was turned

over to the Americans. After Wayne's victory

at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, August 20,

1794, he drove the enemy to within 80 yards

of the gates of this fort. It was here that

the survivors of Colonel Dudley's forces who

had been ambushed by the Indians during the

first siege of Fort Meigs in May, 1813, were

compelled to  run  the gauntlet and   were

brutally tomahawked in sight of General

Proctor, until Tecumseh, the great Indian

chief, compelled the Indians to stop their

slaughter. Now follow the River Road south-

erly to

8.8       Dudley's Massacre                                98.1

On the right, now used as the library grounds,

is the location where on May 5, 1813, Colonel

Dudley's troops spiked the British artillery

besieging Fort Meigs, but in the enthusiasm

of victory, they were led into an ambush where

over 600 were lost.

9.4       Fort Meigs                                       97.5

If you continue southerly to the main inter-

section in Maumee at Conant Street, you can

temporarily turn left across the river if you

so desire and see Fort Meigs. It can be seen

from this point, or from

9.6     Intersection of Allen Street                     97.3

Fort Meigs is the location of the last meeting

of the Convention held Sunday afternoon, Sep-

tember 29th.

In the early part of 1813, General Harrison

reported to Governor Meigs that he was erect-

ing a very strong fort capable of resisting

field artillery at the foot of the Miami Rapids.

On this site a fort was constructed and called

"Fort Meigs." This fort was besieged on two

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MAUMEE VALLEY TRAVEL TOUR                       93

 

From

From Toledo                                                                                                                                         Fort Wayne

Miles                                                                                                                                             Miles

different occasions for long periods by the

British.  During  1813, General Clay sent

Colonel Dudley with 866 men to relieve this

fort. Colonel Dudley's men spiked the guns

of the British which were placed on the north-

erly bank of the Maumee, south of the pres-

ent Fort Miami, and then, as mentioned above,

a large portion of Colonel Dudley's men were

destroyed. A large number of Pennsylvania

and Kentucky troops were buried on this site.

10.4       Side Cut Park                                   96.5

At the right, you see a park developed by the

Toledo Metropolitan Park Board and the

original Miami and Erie Canal Lock No. 3.

The locks at this point are the only existing

locks of the old Miami and Erie Canal in

Lucas County. Walking back up through the

park for 300 feet, you will have a beautiful

view of the valley and the other locks which

are above No. 3. From the top of the hill

looking southwesterly on your right across

the valley, is the area on which the Battle of

Fallen Timbers was fought.

11.6       Battle of Fallen Timbers                        95.3

Low lands to the right were originally forested

but most of the trees were blown down by

storms before 1790. It is the area where on

August 20, 1794, General Anthony Wayne

fought the Battle of Fallen Timbers success-

fully.

12.2       Battle of Fallen Timbers Monument               94.7

The road to the right will take you to the top

of a hill where a monument has been con-

structed in commemoration of the Battle of

Fallen Timbers.

12.5       Hull's Crossing                                 94.4

On your left is a point where Hull crossed the

Maumee River in his historic march.

12.5       Turkey Foot Rock                                94.4

The rock enclosed by a chain on your right, is

supposedly the rock on which Chief Turkey

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94      OHIO ARCH EOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

 

From

From Toledo                                                                                                                                                Fort Wayne

Miles                                                                                                 Miles

Foot stood and exhorted his men to oppose

General Anthony Wayne during the Battle of

Fallen Timbers. The rock is not in its original

location but has been placed at this spot by

the State of Ohio.

14.7      Entrance to Waterville                          92.2

On your right at the top of the hill, is the old

Miami and Erie Canal.

15.5                     Village of Waterville, Ohio                                                                                    91.4

16.6                     Fort Deposit                                                                                                               90.3

On your right near the top of the hill, is con-

sidered the place where Anthony Wayne on

August 18, 1794, left his supplies and built

temporary Fort Deposit.    Some, however,

claim the location is just south of the low

ground in that area now used by the stone

quarry.

16.7      Roche de Boeuf                                  90.2

The rock on your left in the river, a portion

of which has been used to construct the rail-

road bridge across the Maumee River, was

named "Roche de Boeuf" by the French. It

is a spot that was used considerably by Indians

and other groups for meeting places and coun-

cils as it was easily protected and any ap-

proach by an enemy could be watched. It is

claimed that one tribe of Indians during an

argument among themselves, pushed dozens of

their members from said rock into the rapids

below where they were drowned or killed by

the impact.

17.1-18.1 On your left through this area, the old Miami and  89.8-88.8

Erie Canal has been filled in and shelter

houses and parks have been constructed for

the use of the public by the Toledo Metropoli-

tan Park Board.

19.6      Bend View Park                                  87.3

The tow path of the old canal can be seen

at your left below. This point gives a fine

view of the Maumee Valley.

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MAUMEE VALLEY TRAVEL TOUR                      95

 

From

From Toledo                                                                                                                                               Fort Wayne

Miles                                                                                                                                                   Miles

25.1      Grand Rapids                                                                                                                            81.8

At this point you can cross the river to enter

the village of Grand Rapids.

25.4      This field has never been plowed and across the  81.5

very small gully on your right, the path at

this point is claimed to be a portion of the

original trail of Anthony Wayne; said path

being made by the footsteps of his army.

26.0       Providence Park                                80.9

At this point, a retaining dam was built during

the construction of the original canal. It was

rebuilt in 1908. The old canal can be seen at

this point together with a mill which is one

of the oldest in this part of the country and

operated by water from the canal. The old

canal entrance into the river appears at this

point. Another canal is constructed on the

opposite side of the river to carry down water

through Grand Rapids for mills located below

the town.

26.2      On your left originally was old historic "Provi-  80.7

dence Town" which was wiped out by an

epidemic. When in existence, it was used as

a stopping point both by the early settlers and

those using the canal.

26.7      On your left is a slack water pool or lake created  80.2

in the Maumee River by the canal dam.

27.7-28.2 On your left the locks show where the canal en-  79.2-78.7

tered into the slackwater pool. You are now

driving along the old canal. The road is

partly built upon the canal in this area.

28.2-29.9  You are now driving entirely upon the old Miami  78.7-77.0

and Erie Canal.

29.2                     You are driving on the old turning basin.                                                        77.7

30.2                      Small monument on your left indicates Section                                               76.7

No. 53, Wheeling & Lake Erie Canal, com-

pleted in 1842 by James Durbin.

30.4      Texas. This is an old canal town used for stop-  76.5

overs.

30.8-32.3 The old canal can be seen on your left, partially  76.1-74.6

filled in.

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96      OHIO ARCH EOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

 

From

From Toledo                                                                                                                                                Fort Wayne

Miles                                                                                                                                                    Miles

32.3-33.7 You are now driving on the old canal.

33.7      Damascus Bridge.                                73.2

Damascus Bridge is on your left. At its en-

trance was the original old "Damascus Town."

40.6      Napoleon, Ohio                                  66.3

Follow through on U. S. 24.

43.1    Wayne's Park Camp                                 64.8

At this point, Anthony Wayne camped on

August 16, 1794.

41.5-54.2 The canal is on your left the entire distance to  65.4-52.7

Independence Dam. The water has been re-

tained in the original canal for posterity by

the Defiance County Park Board and the State

of Ohio.

43.3      On your left, an old canal turning basin was con-  63.6

structed.

45.5      Girty's Island                                  61.4

On the left you will see an island named after

the Girty Brothers: Simon, James and George.

It is said that the Girtys lived on this island

and that James Girty conducted a trading post

at this point. All three men were traitors to

their race, were called renegades and deserted

civilization to dwell among the savages. Simon

was the worst of the three and a man of ac-

tion. He met with the Indians in their coun-

cils and was listened to. He was present at

the burning of Colonel William Crawford

near Carey in 1792.

47.5      On your left is a dam built in 1933 to hold the  59.4

water for the next 6.7 miles of the canal,

which is standing in its original condition.

48.8                     Florida. Old stop-over canal town.                                                                     58.1

51.4                     Wa-pa-maw-qua Defiance State Park                                                                  55.5

This name means White Loon. He was the

son of a Mohawk chief and an Iroquois

medicine woman near here. He was a kindly

captor of a white boy named Oliver H. Spen-

cer (1792). Later, Oliver Spencer was a

leading citizen of Cincinnati.

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MAUMEE VALLEY TRAVEL TOUR                      97

 

From

From Toledo                                                                                           Fort Wayne

Miles                                                                                                Miles

52.3      Was-o-hah-con-die Defiance State Park                                   54.6

This is the original Wyandot name for

Maumee River.

52.8      Buck-hon-ge-las Defiance State Park             54.1

Buck-hon-ge-las, after which this park was

named, was the head chief of the Delawares.

He was a very active leader in Maumee war-

fare but acquiesced in the result of Wayne's

victory and counseled friendship with the

Americans.

54.2      Independence Dam                                52.7

This dam was used to back the waters of the

Maumee in the development of the Miami and

Erie Canal. This feeder dam was constructed

in 1843 of stone-filled cribs, 763 feet long and

9 feet high and was rebuilt and raised to 10

feet in height in 1924. Independence Lock

No. 21 at this point was built in 1842 and is

the only lock now in existence in the State

of Ohio that is in operating condition.

55.2             Independence, Ohio                                                           51.7

57.9             Monument to Chief Coohcooche                                       49.0

Here was located a mineral spring in 1790.

It was also the birthplace of the Ottawa chief,

Shabonee (1775) and the lodge of the Shaw-

nee chief, Blue Jacket (1792). It was the

Winchester Camp No. 1 in 1812.

58.2      Monument to Johnny Appleseed                    48.7

On your left, 100 yards past the Defiance city

limits, was an apple tree which is claimed to

have been a sprout from an original apple tree

planted by John Chapman, known as "Johnny

Appleseed."

58.2      Left, across the river on the point is old Fort  48.7

Defiance; later enlarged and named "Fort

Winchester."

58.4      On the left and 200 yards inside the city, is a  48.5

monument locating Pontiac's birthplace. Here

in 1712 was born the great Indian chief who

incited "Pontiac's Conspiracy." He federated

the tribes and with the aid of the French,

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98      OHIO ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL QUARTERLY

 

From

From Toledo                                                                                                                                               Fort Wayne

Miles                                                                                                                                                   Miles

threatened British supremacy. Pontiac was

killed in Illinois in 1769.

58.4                     Junction of the Auglaize and Maumee rivers                                                    48.5

58.6                     Turn left to cross the Maumee River                                                                    48.3

58.9                     Turn left to Fort Defiance                                                                                        48.0

Fort Defiance was erected by General Anthony

Wayne August 9-17, 1794, and thus "The

Grand Emporium of the hostile Indians of the

West was gained without loss of blood."

58.9.      Defiance, Ohio                                  48.0

Defiance, Ohio, historical spots were shown

by guides.   The highway from     Defiance,

Ohio, to Fort Wayne, Indiana, a distance of

48 miles, is a beautiful drive on a new pave-

ment on the south side of the Maumee River.

Anthony Wayne's trail, or march, itself, from

Defiance, Ohio, to Fort Wayne, Indiana, was

made on the north side of the river, where

no road now exists. It took three days for

General Wayne to march this distance and

the camps were at points known as "Eleven

and a half mile tree" near the mouth of Plat-

ter Creek; "Twenty-three mile tree" almost

opposite the present city of Antwerp, and

"Thirty-three mile tree" near the east line of

Milan township in Allen County, Indiana.

Leave Defiance on the south side of the river

on Route 24.

72.9       On your right is a monument to the village of   34.0

New Rochester, originally the county-seat of

Paulding County (1835). The village is now

entirely obliterated.

82.2                     Antwerp, Ohio                                                                                                          24.7

99.6                     New Haven, Indiana                                                                                                    7.8

106.9                     Fort Wayne, Indiana                                                                                                    0.0

The committee in Fort Wayne, Indiana, fur-

nished guides for a tour under the supervision

of the local committee.

This historical route program was mimeographed through the courtesy

of the Toledo Automobile Club for the benefit of those who attended the

Convention.

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