OHIO'S ONLY REVOLUTIONARY WAR FORT

Friday, August 26 – We're heading to Marsha's brother's house next week for some driveway camping.  We need to put down some boards under our stabilizing jacks so we don't crack his cement driveway.  We park along an edge that doesn't have very thick concrete.  We normally don't carry many planks, so we didn't have any place to store them.  Paul had read online about storing them under the propane tank.  So he purchased some closet wire shelving and installed them under the tank.

 

There was already a ledge around the opening to set them on so all he had to do was cut them to fit and drill some holes to secure them in place.

 

He will add a couple bungee cords to secure the four 2x2 plywood boards for transportation.

NOW FOR OUR SIGHTSEEING ADVENTURE:

We have lived in Ohio all our life and never visited the historic Fort Laurens. This FIRST and ONLY fort of the Revolutionary War established within the limits of what is now Ohio. It was named in honor of Henry Laurens, President of the continental Congress.

Fort Laurens was constructed in 1778 as part of an attack against the Native Americans assisting the British stationed in Detroit. Troops lead by General McIntosh marched from Pittsburgh to present day Bolivar to wait for supplies.

During much of its existence the fort was besieged by British soldiers and Native Americans who sided with the British, making gathering supplies difficult and unsafe. By March 1779, with their rations depleted, the troops were forced to eat anything they could find, including boiled ox hides and in some legends their own moccasins. This lack of supplies and attacks by Indians led to over 20 American deaths. In the summer of 1779, Daniel Broadhead was ordered by General Washington to evacuate the fort.

Outline of Fort.

In 1917, the Ohio Historical Society assumed control of the site and has kept the land open as a museum and a park. Today, only the outline of the fort remains next to a museum which tells the story of Fort Laurens.

The museum features a video with the history of the Fort, weaponry, artifacts found on site during archeological digs and other items from the Colonial Era. While at the Fort, you can visit the Tomb of the Unknown Patriot of the American Revolution which contains the remains of an American soldier who gave his life at Fort Laurens.

Twenty-one men died at Fort Laurens and were buried here.

Fort Laurens is surrounded by a large park used for military encampments, events and picnics with two shelters that can be used by the public.

Visiting Fort Laurens is a great way to look into the past and get an idea of what it meant to be a soldier during the American Revolution.

We finally got an opportunity to get together with Paul's brother, Dave and wife, Linda. We had a great dinner with lots of catching up conversation. It was wonderful talking with them and hearing how our nieces and nephews are doing.

Dave, Linda, Marsha, Paul

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see ya'll back real soon. Have a great day!