Fort Miamis, Ohio — History & Visitor Guide

Fort Miamis (Maumee, Ohio)

Maumee · Ohio · Northwest Indian War

Quick BriefFort Miami (Miamis) was a British fort built in spring 1794 on the Maumee River in what was at the time territory claimed by the United States, and designated by the federal government as the Northwest Territory. South of Fort Miami, General Wayne's troops dispersed Native American and Canadian militia in the Battle of Fallen Timbers, and the Native Americans fled to the fort but its commander, Major William Campbell, refused to let them enter. In 1796, under the terms of the Jay Treaty, the British abandoned Fort Miamis and other forts. The site is managed by the Metropolitan Park District of the Toledo Area in partnership with the Ohio Historical Society and is part of the Fallen Timbers Battlefield and Fort Miamis National Historic Site, with a state memorial created at the site.

Open to visitors

History & Significance

In the early 1790s, the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, John Graves Simcoe, made an aggressive effort to aid the Western Confederacy of Native American tribes in the Maumee and Wabash River watersheds, with his ultimate goal being the establishment of an Indian barrier state to protect Britain's North American fur trade ventures and block anticipated American attacks. The fort was a log stockade with four bastions, each capable of mounting four cannon, a river battery, barracks, officers' quarters, supply buildings, and various shops.

On August 20, 1794, General Anthony Wayne led troops from Roche de Bout, and after a five-mile march encountered a line of 1,100 Indian warriors from a confederation of Ohio and Great Lakes Indian tribes. Wayne ordered a charge and dispersed his adversaries in the Battle of Fallen Timbers; the Native Americans fled to the fort, but Major William Campbell refused to let them enter as he was unwilling to start a war with the United States, and beaten and disillusioned, the Native Americans dispersed.

The Treaty of Greenville opened most of the present State of Ohio and part of Indiana to United States settlement. The 1796 Jay Treaty formally ended the British presence in the Old Northwest Territory, and troops withdrew from Fort Miamis.

Key Facts

StateOhio

LocationMaumee

Established1794

Decommissioned1814

War / eraNorthwest Indian War

Current statusMuseum / Historic Site

Coordinates41.5725, -83.62611111

NRHP reference75001466

Map

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🧳 Visiting

What you’ll see when you visit:

Log stockade and four cannon bastions from 1794 British construction
Site of critical Northwest Indian War standoff during General Wayne's campaign
Fallen Timbers Battlefield adjacent—major Native American defeat in 1794
Maumee River setting with interpretive exhibits on frontier conflict and tribal resistance

Best time to visitSpring (April-May) and fall (September-October) offer mild weather ideal for outdoor exploration of the battlefield and fort grounds.

Getting thereEugene F. Kranz Toledo Express Airport (TOL) is 15 kilometers away; the fort is accessible from downtown Maumee via Metroparks Toledo.

From the nearest major airportDetroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)🚗 52 mi by road⏱️ ≈ 1 hr 5 min drive

Fort Miamis (Maumee, Ohio)

History & Significance

Key Facts

Map

🧳 Visiting

Sources

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