Historical Society Presenting Special Program on Fort Meigs, War of 1812

On September 20, at 7P.M., in the Heritage Hall auditorium, the Marion County Historical Society is pleased to host a program on Fort Meigs. This site, an Ohio War of 1812 battlefield, is home to the largest reconstructed, wooden-walled fort in the country. Rick Finch, Director of Fort Meigs will present a program on the War of 1812 and the role played by Fort Meigs which stood at the center of American military operations in the Northwest Territory.

Between June 1812 and February 1813, the United States lost Fort Mackinac and Fort Detroit in the Michigan Territory and Fort Dearborn in the Illinois Territory, as well as a major defeat at the Battle of the River Raisin in Michigan. Only Fort Wayne, in the Indiana Territory, withstood British attack.

Major-General William Henry Harrison established the fort on the south side of the Maumee River on February 2, 1813. The fort was to serve as a temporary supply depot and staging area for an invasion of Canada. Named for the Governor of Ohio, Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr., the garrison was home to more than 2,000 men comprised of U.S. regulars and militia from Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

The site was preserved by the Hayes family who purchased the land and used it for grazing cattle. In 1840, William Henry Harrison returned to the site to hold a rally during his successful run for the Presidency.

In 1908 the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Civil War veterans, held a reunion in Toledo, Ohio. To commemorate their arrival, and to honor the memory of the soldiers who served at Fort Meigs, a monument was erected on the site.

The fort was reconstructed by the Ohio Historical Society and opened in 1974. Since then, the site has seen thousands of visitors and continues to fulfill its charge to educate the public. For more information on this National Historic Landmark please visit www.fortmeigs.org.

Heritage Hall, the Marion County Historical Society headquarters, is located at 169 East Church Street. Doors open at 6:30 and the program begins promptly at 7:00 P.M.  Plenty of parking is available behind the building. Parking lot access is off of South State Street just south of Church Street. This event is the third in a series of programs commemorating the Bicentennial of the War of 1812. For more information on this or other MCHS events, call 740-387-4255.