Fort Washington (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Cincinnati · Ohio · Northwest Indian War
History & Significance
Built in summer 1789 to protect early settlements in the Symmes Purchase area, including Losantiville, Columbia, and Northbend, Fort Washington became from 1789 to 1804 the "Pentagon, the capitol, and the White House of the West." Distinguished by its large size—larger than a modern city block and designed to house up to 1,500 men—the fort's stone foundation and reinforced walls provided protection from light artillery.
It played a key supporting role in three Indian campaigns: Harmar's Campaign in 1790, St. Clair's Campaign in 1791, and General Anthony Wayne's campaign in 1793–94. On October 22, 1790, General Harmar's army was ambushed and massacred by Indians led by Chief Little Turtle.
In spring 1793, Major General Anthony Wayne moved his forces from Legionville, Pennsylvania down the Ohio River to a camp outside Fort Washington called Hobson's Choice. Following the Treaty of Greenville in 1795, when the defeated Northwestern Confederacy ceded extensive territory to the United States, the fort declined in strategic importance.
In 1803 the fort was moved to Newport, Kentucky across the river and became the Newport Barracks. In October 1952, excavators discovered the remnants of Fort Washington's gunpowder magazine beneath the northeast corner of Broadway and Third Streets.
Key Facts
Map
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🧳 Visiting
Sources
- https://www.battlefields.org/visit/heritage-sites/fort-washington
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Washington_(Ohio)
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Indian_War
- https://npshistory.com/series/symposia/george_rogers_clark/1989-1990/sec4.htm
- https://www.dar.org/national-society/historic-sites-and-properties/fort-washington-monument
- https://www.legendsofamerica.com/fort-washington-ohio/