|
Field
Trips > NW
Region >
Fort Meigs
Register online
Print Form (Adobe Acrobat PDF)
 NOTE:
Requires Adobe
Acrobat ® Reader.
Fort Meigs, a sprawling 10-acre log and earth fortification is situated on the banks of the Maumee River. During the War of 1812, William Henry Harrison built the fort in 1813 to protect northwest Ohio and Indiana from English invasion. English and Canadian troops, assisted by Indians under Tecumseh, besieged the fort twice. The first assault was in May of 1813 and the second was in July. Both failed and the British retreated after the second attack. This was the first setback the English had encountered in their Northwest Campaign.
With Harrison's victory at the Battle of the Thames in Canada during early October, the war in the Northwest was all but over. Peace came in December of 1814, and in May 1815, the United States formally abandoned Fort Meigs.
In 1965, the Ohio Historical Society reconstructed Fort Meigs to replicate the stockade as it was during the first siege. In 2000, the Society began a complete restoration of the fort site, including the replacement of the fort gate and stockade, roof and log replacement of the seven blockhouses, reconstruction of all batteries, and renovation of the existing blockhouse exhibits. The blockhouses appear as they were built originally, with walls two feet thick, four-inch-thick window and cannon-port shutters, and whitewashed interior walls. New blockhouse exhibits illustrate how the fort was originally built, the living conditions in the fort for both officers and enlisted men, weaponry, and conflict.
The new Museum Visitor Center has 3,000 square feet of exhibits. It features artifacts, weapons, maps, uniforms, and documents including soldiers' letters and diaries that describe Fort Meigs role during the War of 1812. The exhibits emphasize hands-on and interpretive learning opportunities for students and families, as well as workshop and curriculum resources for teachers. The building also includes an Ohio History Store, classroom, and conference room.
FIELD TRIPS > NORTHWEST REGION SITES:
| 
