Springfield in Clark County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Kenton's Stockade
Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail
Image courtesy of the Historical Marker Database
1. Kenton's Stockade Marker
of the Mad River, in 1799
Simon Kenton and other
Kentuckians erected the
first American Stockade
in the Mad River Valley.
Erected 1930 by Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission. (Marker Number C.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Native Americans • Wars, US Indian. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1799.
Location. 39° 55.569′ N, 83° 50.902′ W. Marker is in Springfield, Ohio, in Clark County. Marker is on Main Street (U.S. 40) west of Broadway Street, on the right when traveling west. This marker was very likely located on the north side of US 40 (the Old National Road), just west of the Buck Creek bridge, near the former site of the Madonna of the Trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Springfield OH 45504, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. The Rose City (a few steps from this marker); Historic National Road
this page online
More about this marker. This historical marker is part of the Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail series (type C) which was put in place in 1930 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Ohio's Revolutionary War era Battle of Piqua, by the Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission.
In order to accomplish this, in 1929 the state of Ohio created the Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission, and then in 1930 this commission created 22 military trails, throughout western Ohio, between Cincinnati, Ohio on the state's southern border and Toledo, Ohio on the state's northern border. Each of these military trails represented the routes, or trails, used by military leaders during either the Revolutionary War, the Indian Wars of 1790 to 1795, or the War of 1812. Each of these military routes connected various related historical sites, that were marked with Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission (type C) markers, along each of the military trails.
The routes of these military trails were in turn marked by type A and type B Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission markers that served as directional (type B) and distance (type A) markers.
Originally, back in 1930, there were erected 70 some of these Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission, type C, markers. To date, there are only 20 some of them that have been located and posted on the Historical Marker database. A number of them are presently missing, including this particular marker, which is listed on page 69 of the ORMC 1931 Planning Report.
In using the 1930, Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trails map, to help in determining just where this particular marker would most likely be situated, it should be noted that there is a unique trail "loop" that extends a short distance west out of Springfield, Ohio. This trail "loop," for a short distance, follows the 1930 era US 40 westward, across the Mad River, and then returns eastward to Springfield, Ohio. My guess, is that this "loop" took travelers westward, to both the site of Kenton's Stockade, and the site of the Madonna of the Trail monument (both of which are marked on the map), and then returned the travelers eastward to the primary Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail routes that ran north, south, and east through Springfield, Ohio.
Also see . . . Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail System. A description of the Revolutionary Memorial Trail System developed by the state of Ohio in 1929 - 1930. (Submitted on August 1, 2019, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.)
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, July 22, 2019
2. Kenton's Stockade Marker
View, looking northeast from the north side of the US 40 roadway, of the probable site of this marker. The brick wall, seen in this picture, once enclosed the site of Ohio's Madonna of the Trail monument, which has currently been moved to a site in downtown Springfield, Ohio.
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, July 22, 2019
3. Kenton's Stockade Marker
View, looking westward along US 40, of the probable site of this marker. The vacant platform, seen to the right of the US flag pole, was once the site of Ohio's Madonna of the Trail monument.
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, July 22, 2019
4. Kenton's Stockade Marker
View, looking eastward along US 40, of the probable site of this marker. The treeline, seen in the background of this picture, is situated along the western side of Buck Creek, which feeds into the nearby Mad River, and is part of the area landmark, "Forks of the Mad River."
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, July 22, 2019
5. Kenton's Stockade Marker
View of Buck Creek (part of the "Forks of the Mad River") as seen from the north side of the US 40 bridge. The Kenton Stockade would have been situated on the left side of Buck Creek.
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, July 22, 2019
6. Kenton's Stockade Marker
View, looking west along US 40, across the front of Snyder Park. Snyder Park is on the east side of Buck Creek and is where an Indian village, that a captive Simon Kenton was made to run a gauntlet, was once situated. In this picture, the treeline in the background, is situated along the east bank of Buck Creek.
Image courtesy of the MidPointe Library System (www.MidPointeLibrary.org)
7. Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail Map
A view of an original Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail Map, from 1930. For a better view double click on this picture.
Image provided by Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission publication, dated 1931., June 26, 2019
8. Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission Marker Types
View of the three types of markers used by the Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission. The marker on the left is a type A marker, the marker in the middle is a type C (just like our featured marker), and the marker on the right is a type B. For a better view double click on this picture.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 2, 2019. It was originally submitted on August 1, 2019, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. This page has been viewed 377 times since then and 39 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 1, 2019, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on August 2, 2019, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. 7, 8. submitted on August 1, 2019, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.
