Defiance in Defiance County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Anthony Wayne's Fort Defiance
Photographed By Craig Doda, August 11, 2020
1. Anthony Wayne's Fort Defiance Marker
Inscription.
Anthony Wayne's Fort Defiance. .
The site of the fort was set aside as a public park in 1823 by the Village of Defiance. Enter and follow the series of in-ground bronze plaques that highlight the fort's 1794-96 storyline and features..
The Glaize. The Glaize was the name given to the confluence of the Maumee and Auglaize rivers by early French explorers. During the late 1770s, three members of the British Indian Office, Alexander McKee, Matthew Elliott and James Girty, built a small two-cabin stockade here at the confluence. In 1780 Brítish Captain Henry Bird passed through the Glaize on his way to raid Kentucky settlements. Continuing conflicts forced Native Americans into the area. Shawnee leader Captain Johnny established his village here in 1789; many others soon followed. It was estimated over 1,000 Native Americans lived in the area. French Canadian and British traders soon arrived, including George Ironside, who built a two-story double pen log trading post. The traders and Native Americans co-existed in a peaceful multi-cultural community. Early efforts by the United States to defeat the growing Indian Confederation ended in disaster. The armies of General Josiah Harmar (1790) and General Arthur St. Clair (1791) were both defeated. During these conflicts many whites were captured by the Indians, including John Brickell and Oliver Spencer. Both lived at the Glaize with their captors until their freedom was negotiated.,
Grand Emporium. General "Mad" Anthony Wayne arrived at the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee rivers on August 8, 1794. He wrote the following: "Thus, sir, we have gained possession of the grand emporium of the hostile Indians of the west, without the loss of blood.” The Indians had planted large fields of maize (corn) that extended for miles in all directions along the two rivers. It was the custom of the Indians to plant beans and squash among the stalks of maize (the three sisters). Some of the fields were destroyed by Wayne, while a portion was saved to feed the troops and mounts. After Wayne's victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers on August 20, 1794, Wayne ordered his troops to destroy all remaining crops and Indian structures for a distance of 50 miles on either side of the Maumee River, thus forcing the Indians to rely on aid from the British to survive the winter. The Treaty of Greeneville was signed by General Wayne and the Indians in the summer of 1795.
The site of the fort was set aside as a public park in 1823 by the Village of Defiance.
Enter and follow the series of in-ground bronze plaques that highlight the fort's 1794-96 storyline and features.
The Glaize
The Glaize was the name given to the confluence of the Maumee and Auglaize rivers by early
French explorers. During the late 1770s, three members of the British Indian Office, Alexander
McKee, Matthew Elliott and James Girty, built a small two-cabin stockade here at the
confluence. In 1780 Brítish Captain Henry Bird passed through the Glaize on his way to raid
Kentucky settlements. Continuing conflicts forced Native Americans into the area. Shawnee
leader Captain Johnny established his village here in 1789; many others soon followed. It was
estimated over 1,000 Native Americans lived in the area. French Canadian and British traders
soon arrived, including George Ironside, who built a two-story double pen log trading post. The
traders and Native Americans co-existed in a peaceful multi-cultural community. Early efforts
by the United States to defeat the growing Indian Confederation ended in disaster. The armies
of General Josiah Harmar (1790) and General Arthur St. Clair (1791) were both defeated.
During these conflicts many whites were captured by the Indians,
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including John Brickell and
Oliver Spencer. Both lived at the Glaize with their captors until their freedom was negotiated.
Grand Emporium
General "Mad" Anthony Wayne arrived at the confluence of the
Auglaize and Maumee rivers on August 8, 1794. He wrote the
following: "Thus, sir, we have gained possession of the grand
emporium of the hostile Indians of the west, without the loss of
blood.” The Indians had planted large fields of maize (corn) that
extended for miles in all directions along the two rivers. It was the
custom of the Indians to plant beans and squash among the stalks of
maize (the three sisters). Some of the fields were destroyed by Wayne,
while a portion was saved to feed the troops and mounts. After Wayne's victory at the Battle
of Fallen Timbers on August 20, 1794, Wayne ordered his troops to destroy all remaining
crops and Indian structures for a distance of 50 miles on either side of the Maumee River,
thus forcing the Indians to rely on aid from the British to survive the winter. The Treaty of
Greeneville was signed by General Wayne and the Indians in the summer of 1795.
21.433′ W. Marker is in Defiance, Ohio, in Defiance County. Marker is at the intersection of Fort Street and Washington Avenue, on the left when traveling east on Fort Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 320 Fort St, Defiance OH 43512, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on November 22, 2020. It was originally submitted on November 21, 2020, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 370 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on November 21, 2020, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
