Fort Loramie in Shelby County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Frenchman’s Store
Photographed by Craig Doda, July 11, 2026
1. The Frenchman’s Store Marker
The Frenchman’s Store served as a crucial hub for trade between Native American tribes and European settlers, especially for the fur trade. However, in 1782, during rising tensions in the region, General George Rogers Clark ordered a hundred Kentucky Riflemen to destroy the post and the surrounding Native American villages. The attack resulted in Lorimier losing the equivalent of over a million dollars in today’s currency through damages, with no compensation. Following the Revolutionary War and the Treaty of Paris, America began to eagerly expand westward. In 1795, the Treaty of Greenville attempted to divide the Ohio Territory between settlers and the native tribes. The site of the devastated trading post gained new military importance when General "Mad" Anthony Wayne built a fort there, naming it Fort Loramie because of Lorimier’s earlier known trading post. After the War of 1812, people began to settle in the area. The population rose even more when the Furrow family built a store on the former trading post site. William Prilliman further contributed to the population boom by laying out the town’s first streets --
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Project Funding Provided By: Fort Loramie Community Service Club • Minster Journeyman's • Minster Eagles • Minster Eagles Auxiliary • Shelby County Historical Society • Minster Service Club • Tooling Technology • Tom & Jerry Plumbing • A & B Printing • Fort Loramie Legion Auxiliary • Baumer Construction • Mark One Manufacturing • Woehrmyer Concrete
Erected 2025 by Eagle Scout Project - Chance Hagaman - Minster, Ohio.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Colonial Era • Forts and Castles • Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1782.
Location. 40° 21.061′ N, 84° 22.499′ W. Marker is in Fort Loramie, Ohio, in Shelby County. It is at the intersection of West Main Street and Water Street, on the right when traveling south on West Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 24 W Main St, Fort Loramie OH 45845, 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
Photographed by Craig Doda, July 11, 2026
2. The Frenchman’s Store Marker
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Buckeye Trail History (a few steps from this marker); Fort Loramie Veterans Monument (a few steps from this marker); Greene Ville Treaty Line / Miami and Erie Canal (a few steps from this marker); On September 26, 1748 (a few steps from this marker); After the Destruction of his Trading Post (a few steps from this marker); Miami Erie Canal Mile Stone (a few steps from this marker); Pierre Lorimier Died in 1812 (within shouting distance of this marker); Bernard Mayer Building (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Fort Loramie.
Credits. This page was last revised on September 2, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 28, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 7 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 28, 2026, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
