Fort Findlay (Findlay, Ohio)
Findlay · Ohio · War of 1812
History & Significance
Early in the War of 1812, General William Hull, commander of Ohio troops, ordered Colonel James Findlay to open a road from Fort McArthur on the Scioto River to Blanchard's Fork. Under Findlay, a stockade 50 yards square, with a blockhouse at each corner was erected here and named in his honor.
There were four, two-story blockhouses for artillery, and several small cabins for housing. The walls of the stockade were upright logs and a ditch running the length of the front.
Two days after their arrival, the army continued on and left 13 men to complete the fort on the south bank of the Blanchard River. The fort was used as a supply depot.
Small cabins were erected against the stockade inside the fort to house a token garrison of 15 men and officers. The fort was staffed until 1815.
A diary of one unidentified soldier described his time here as a sort of vacation, full of fishing and hunting. After 1815, the fort was occupied by a few Wyandot Indian families. The site became the nucleus for the settlement of Hancock County's first permanent white community.
Key Facts
🧳 Visiting
What you’ll see when you visit:
- Historical marker on South Main Street commemorates War of 1812 stockade fort
- Blockhouse-style defensive architecture from early 19th century
- Part of US defensive network during War of 1812
- Garrison post established under General Hull's command
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Findlay
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=21576
- https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=245411
- https://visitfindlay.com/early-history-fort-findlay/
- https://www.britannica.com/place/Findlay