to Fort Stephenson / to Fort Meigs

Ohio's Revolutionary Memorial Trail

— Harrison's March 1813 —

to Fort Stephenson / to Fort Meigs Marker image. Click for full size.

Image courtesy of the Historical Marker Database

1. to Fort Stephenson / to Fort Meigs Marker

Inscription. Ohio's
Revolutionary
Memorial
Trail
Text on East Side :

Harrison's March - 1813
- - - - -
½
Mile to
Fort
Meigs
Text on West Side :

Harrison's March - 1813
- - - - -
34
Miles to
Fort
Stephenson

Erected 1930 by Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission. (Marker Number A124.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Forts and Castles • Roads & Vehicles • War of 1812. In addition, it is included in the Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1813.

Location. Marker is missing. It was located near 41° 33.366′ N, 83° 38.489′ W. Marker was in Perrysburg, Ohio, in Wood County. Marker was at the intersection of West Front Street (Ohio Route 65) and West Boundary Street (Ohio Route 25), on the right when traveling west on West Front Street. Nothing remains of this marker, but originally it would have been situated along the extreme western end of the Ohio Revolutionary Memorial

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Trail System route that connected Fort Meigs to Fremont. This marker was intended to inform travelers on this particular Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail that Fort Meigs was located just ½ mile to the west, along West Front Street (along what was old State Route 65, back in 1930). However, using my vehicle’s odometer to measure the ½ mile distance between the site of this marker and the site of Fort Meigs is not an option anymore since the portion of state roadway that drove through the Fort Meigs State Memorial back in 1930, no longer exists. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 564 West Front Street, Perrysburg OH 43551, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location. Perrysburg (approx. 0.2 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); Fort Meigs Union Cemetery (approx. 0.3 miles away); Interior Earthworks (approx. 0.4 miles away); Discipline (approx. 0.4 miles away); First Siege (approx. 0.4 miles away); Ohio Buckeye (approx. half a mile away); The Indian Wars (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Perrysburg.

More about this marker. This historical marker is part of the Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail series (type A) 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

Photographed By Dale K. Benington, April 27, 2016

2. to Fort Stephenson / to Fort Meigs Marker

View of the street corner where the missing marker was most probably located, looking north, in the direction of the Maumee River. The marker was probably situated in the area between the crosswalk and the streetlight pole.

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. This particular marker is one of the type A markers of the Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail series.

Originally, back in 1930, according to the ORMC 1931 Planning Report, there were erected 168 some of these Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission, type A, markers (see page 54). To date, I know of only 3 of these type A markers that have been located and posted on the Historical Marker database (markers A95, A96, and A1340). A large number of them are presently missing, including this particular marker,

Photographed By Dale K. Benington, April 27, 2016

3. to Fort Stephenson / to Fort Meigs Marker

View from where the marker was most probably located, looking east, along US 20 (and State Route 65), which in 1930 was part of the east and west Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail System.

A124, which is listed on page 66 of the 1931, Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission's Planning Report.

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 September 8, 2014, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.)

Additional commentary.
1. Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail System
This particular Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission (ORMC), Type A marker, once helped to mark the military marches of General Harrison during the War of 1812. According to the ORMC 1931 Planning Report (see page 66), it was used on the portion of the Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail System that connected Fort Meigs to Fremont. According to the Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trails cartographic map, that was issued by the ORMC in 1930, this marker was situated along the roadway that both in 1930 and today, was, and is, US 20.

Back in 1930, when this marker was originally erected, this particular stretch of US 20 was most likely a two lane roadway, whereas today, an additional turning lane has been added, and the intersection has been broadened.

Along some portions of the Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail System, it is difficult to identify the probable

Photographed By Dale K. Benington, April 27, 2016

4. to Fort Stephenson / to Fort Meigs Marker

View from where the marker was most probably located, looking west. To the right is the north-south Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail that followed US 25 (now State Route 25) north towards Detroit. To the left is the east-west Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail that followed State Route 65 (now just West Front Street) west to Fort Meigs (½ mile away).

location of these markers because the roadways of 1930 are so much different from the present day roadways. Many of the original roadways have been re-routed or by-passed, or in some cases given new route number designations, and this particular marker involves just such a major roadway revision.

Originally State Route 65 had been routed right over the site of Fort Meigs and ran right through the middle of our present day Fort Meigs State Memorial park, however, sometime after 1930, it was re-routed around the Fort Meigs Cemetery, and the roadway was completely removed from the grounds of the Fort Meigs State Memorial park.

So today, the original ORMC trail that in 1930 followed West Front Street (old State Route 65) to the Fort Meigs State Memorial, no longer is capable of reaching its intended destination. The ORMC Trail comes up just short due to today's West Front Street coming to a dead end just a short distance in front of the reconstructed walls of Fort Meigs.

— Submitted April 28, 2016, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.

Photographed By Dale K. Benington, April 27, 2016

5. to Fort Stephenson / to Fort Meigs Marker

View of where today, West Front Street comes to a dead end, just short of the reconstructed walls of Fort Meigs. In 1930, West Front Street continued right through the middle of the site of Fort Meigs.

Aerial view of Fort Meigs State Memorial image. Click for more information.

Image courtesy of the Ohio History Connection, 1930

6. Aerial view of Fort Meigs State Memorial

A 1930 aerial photograph of the Fort Meigs State Memorial, showing the West Front Street roadway (the old State Route 65), extending right through the middle of the grounds of Fort Meigs. This is unlike today where West Front Street now ends just outside of the reconstructed northern wall of the fort.
Click for more information.

Photographed By Dale K. Benington, April 27, 2016

7. to Fort Stephenson / to Fort Meigs Marker

View of a 1924 era plat book map, showing the Fort Meigs area roadways that were featured in the 1930 Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail System (including the roadway going through the center of the Fort Meigs State Memorial property).

Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Trail Map image. Click for full size.

Image courtesy of the MidPointe Library System (www.MidPointeLibrary.org)

8. 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.

Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission Marker Types image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Commission

9. 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 (just like our missing marker), the marker in the middle is a type C, 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 26, 2022. It was originally submitted on September 8, 2014, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. This page has been viewed 763 times since then and 45 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 8, 2014, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. 2, 3, 4. submitted on April 28, 2016, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. 5, 6, 7. submitted on April 29, 2016, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. 8. submitted on September 8, 2014, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio. 9. submitted on April 20, 2016, by Dale K. Benington of Toledo, Ohio.