Kenton in Hardin County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Fort McArthur
Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, June 17, 2008
1. Fort McArthur Marker
Fort McArthur
»»««
Erected 1812, by Colonel
Duncan McArthur, as one
of the forts along the line
of General Hull's march
against the British head-
quarters at Detroit.
Erected 1930 by Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission. (Marker Number C35.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • War of 1812. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1812.
Location. 40° 38.836′ N, 83° 36.554′ W. Marker is in Kenton, Ohio, in Hardin County. Marker is on North Detroit Street (U.S. 68) near East Franklin Street (Ohio Route 309), on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Kenton OH 43326, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The Hardin County Courthouse (within shouting distance of this marker); "The Liberty Garden" (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Veterans Memorial (about 300 feet away); Gene Autry (about 300 feet away); Frank Bondi (about 300 feet away); Kenton
this page online
More about this marker. Although this historical marker is located in downtown Kenton, Ohio, on the front lawn of the Hardin County Courthouse, it is not situated at the actual site of Fort McArthur. The actual location of this War of 1812 era fortification is about 3 miles, to the WSW, outside of town, on the banks of the Scioto River.
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
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, June 17, 2008
2. Fort McArthur Marker
View of the historical marker in front of the Hardin County Courthouse.
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, and presumed to be permanently lost.
Regarding Fort McArthur. Shortly before the start of the War of 1812 the American General William Hull, the commander of the American fortification on Michigan's border with Canada (located in Detroit), believed that unless his position was reinforced with additional troops, that his command would be in serious trouble once the war finally got under way. So he took it upon himself to travel down to southern Ohio in order to raise those additional troops.
As soon as General Hull had raised himself an army of soldiers, he began to march northward from Urbana, Ohio. Since much of the territory between Urbana and
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, June 17, 2008
3. Fort McArthur Marker
View of the historical marker situated near the intersection of US 68 and State Route 309. Much of General Hull's Trail northward, from Urbana, Ohio to Findlay, Ohio, follows modern day US 68.
Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. To better understand the relationship, study each marker in the order shown.
Also see . . .
1. Hull's Road. This is a link to information provided by Ohio History Central, an online encyclopedia of Ohio History. (Submitted on August 13, 2010, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.)
2. Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail System. A description of the Revolutionary Memorial Trail System developed by the state of Ohio in 1929 - 1930. (Submitted on November 17, 2010, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.)
Photographed By Dale K. Benington, June 17, 2008
4. Fort McArthur Marker
View of the historical marker that is located near the actual site of Fort McArthur, 3 some miles from the Hardin County courthouse. The actual site of the fort is along the tree line that is situated along the banks of the Scioto River, which is in the background of the picture.
Image courtesy of the MidPointe Library System (www.MidPointeLibrary.org)
5. 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
6. 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 July 5, 2022. It was originally submitted on April 27, 2009, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. This page has been viewed 3,786 times since then and 170 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 27, 2009, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. 5. submitted on September 7, 2014, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. 6. submitted on June 27, 2019, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. • Christopher Busta-Peck was the editor who published this page.
