12/5/2014 – After attending the OAHPERD convention at Kalahari Resorts in Sandusky OH, I drove west along Lake Erie first stopping at Magee Marsh Wildlife Area (ODNR)
and then Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge where I took short hikes and toured the Visitor Centers.
I then continued to Toledo to visit Fallen Timbers and Fort Miamis National Historic Sites in Toledo’s Side Cut Metropark.
After the Revolutionary War and the Treaty of Paris (1783), the U.S. received the Northwest Territory (eventually becoming OH, MI, IN, IL, WI and part of MN). However, the Native Americans of the area were not part of the treaty and the British did not withdraw from the Northwest Territory. As U.S. settlers moved west, the Indian Western Confederacy (supported by the British) resisted their expansion. Indian leaders included Chiefs little Turtle (Miami) and Blue Jacket (Shawnee). The U.S. suffered early losses against the Indians in 1790 and 1791. As a result, in 1792 President Washington and Congress commissioned General “Mad Anthony” Wayne to train an American Legion (Army) to secure the Northwest Territory.
In 1793, Wayne marched north from Cincinnati with about 1,500 men and spent the winter at Fort Greeneville. He then continued to the banks of the Maumee River and met the Indians (about 1,100) for battle on August 20, 1794. The battle lasted about two hours with the Indians taking shelter around trees that had been felled by a tornado a few years before – hence the “Battle of Fallen Timbers.”
The Indians retreated five miles north to Fort Miamis (on the Maumee River), which was held by a strong British force. Interestingly, the British would not let the Indians (their allies) in and the warriors continued their retreat! General Wayne had orders not to attack Fort Miamis and returned to camp.
Fort Miamis was built by the British to prevent Wayne from attacking Fort Detroit. The fort was turned over to the Americans in 1796, but was abandoned in 1798 and not used again until the War of 1812. In 1813 General William Henry Harrison had Fort Meigs constructed on the south bank of the Maumee River, at present day Perrysburg OH. Later in the spring, the British landed again at the Fort Miamis site as a base of operations and were joined by the Shawnee chief Tecumseh. They attacked Fort Meigs but were not successful. In October of 1813 Harrison went on the offensive and attacked the English and Indian army at the “Battle of the Thames.” It was a victory and Tecumseh was killed in the battle. The Americans had now secured the Northwest Territory.
The Martin's Blog 