Amanda Township near Hartford in Allen County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Welcome to Kiracofe Prairie!

Photographed by Craig Doda, November 8, 2023

1. Welcome to Kiracofe Prairie! Marker

Inscription.
Our five acres of tallgrass prairie represents a collective part of Ohio's natural history. Beautiful prairies like these have attracted both wildlife and humans for centuries to their rich bounties of food, shelter and medicine.

Calvin R. Kiracofe, former Park District Commissioner, felt that the addition of a prairie would provide visitors the opportunity to learn about a little known part of Ohio history. Mr. Kiracofe always admired efforts to transform a once-fallow field into a wildlife-attracting community for all to enjoy.

The northwest section of the prairie was tilled in the fall of 1986 and the first seeds planted in May of 1987. Additional plots were seeded in 1988 and 1990. All plants are native to this region of Ohio.

Explore the trail and notice the gentle sway of the plants in the breeze. Listen for the sweet singing of the dozens of birds who call this grassland their home. Search closely among the flowing grasses and maybe you'll catch a glimpse of a cottontail rabbit foraging for food. Look overhead for the red-tailed hawk in search of its own meal.

We invite you to discover the beauty of

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

this tall grass prairie. It holds a richness and complexity that is unsurpassed as one of Ohio's natural wonders!

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Natural Features • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1987.

Location. 40° 44.629′ N, 84° 19.15′ W. Marker is near Hartford, Ohio, in Allen County. It is in Amanda Township. It is on Defiance Trail North north of Allentown Road (Ohio Route 81), on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 500 Defiance Trail N, Spencerville OH 45887, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Till Plains.

It is also in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Where do Prairies come from?

Photographed by Craig Doda, November 8, 2023

2. Welcome to Kiracofe Prairie! Marker

(here, next to this marker); Cultural History of the Prairie (here, next to this marker); Hartford Cemetery Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); Trail Designations (approx. 1.7 miles away); Recreation Along The Canal (approx. 1.7 miles away); Robert K. Antibus Trail Access (approx. 1.7 miles away); "Johnny Appleseed" (approx. 2.3 miles away); POW-MIA Still Missing / Wake Up America (approx. 2.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hartford.

Another marker is no longer nearby. The Town of Hartford (was approx. 0.6 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Photographed by Craig Doda, November 8, 2023

3. Welcome to Kiracofe Prairie! Marker

Photographed by Craig Doda, November 8, 2023

4. Welcome to Kiracofe Prairie! Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on December 3, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 20, 2023, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 233 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 20, 2023, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.