During the War of 1812, several posts were built along the northwestern Ohio frontier to serve a variety of purposes. Many were built to act as supply depots, strung together to form a chain that would help maintain a defensive outpost at its end. Unfortunately, along with a number of other historic sites in Ohio, many of these structures are forgotten like the the past.

Details are sadly lacking regarding many of these forts. I will simply describe what is known, and try to shed some light about what I have found during my travels to many of these sites. It is the intent of this article to simply bring this little-known part of our region's past into the light. (Editor's Note., All towns mentioned are in Ohio)

Ft. Amanda

Ft. Amanda is located nine miles northwest of Wapakoneta, on St. Rt.198, along the bank of the Auglaize River. Itisa state memorial operated by the Ohio Historical Society. Amanda was built by a Kentucky militia unit as part of the Auglaize River supply route that led to Ft. Winchester, in Defiance. Later, the fort was expanded by an Ohio militia unit.

At Ft. Amanda is a 50-foot obelisk, as well as the graves of 75 unknown soldiers who died of diseases and wounds from struggles further north. Markers signifying the location of Tawa town, an Indian village along the Auglaize, are on nearby Amanda Road.

Ft. Ball

This site is simply marked by a roadside marker south of downtown Tiffin, along St. Rt. 53. It was built as part of the Sandusky River supply route which led to Ft. Stephenson.

Ft. Barbee

Located in present day St. Mary's, this site is on the south side of town off St. Rt. 66. You must take a side road off the state route and drive along a gravel lane for a short distance to get to there. Ft. Barbee was built by a Kentucky militia unit on the banks of the St. Mary's River, near or on top of the site of the older Ft. St. Mary's, one of Anthony Wayne's forts of the 1790s. A standard marker simply identifies Barbee's location. Also present is a graveyard of the early settlers of St. Mary's, along with information about Fort St. Mary's.

Ft. Brown

Have fun finding this fort! It is located on a township road in Paulding County on the Auglaize river south of Defiance. You must take St. Rt. 613 west from Oakwood (a very, sad town between Paulding and Ottawa). Turn right on the first road after crossing the bridge (the state route enters from the south, or right). Stay on this township road and in three miles you'll come to the Ft. Brown marker on the left. Brown was built as another link in the Auglaize River supply chain. The site is at the junction of the Auglaize and Little Auglaize Rivers. There are two other markers here as well, providing additional information about the fort.

Ft. Feree

I know very little about this site. It is in present-day Upper Sandusky, and I haven't been there. However, I do know that Feree was built as a supply depot on the Sandusky River, and helped supply Ft. Stephenson.

Ft. Findlay

Located in present day Findlay, there is a marker close to the middle of town on US 224. Again, a supply fort, linking the settled southern part of Ohio with the frontier.

Ft. Greene Ville

A smaller version of the Anthony Wayne era fort was still in existence during 1812. Serving mainly as a supply post, it was the jumping off point for the Mississinewa excursion. There are no markers for this fort, but if you are interested in Anthony Wayne, the Garst Museum is the place to go. One room alone deals with the 1790s Indian Campaigns and they do have a good selection of period-related materials for sale.

Ft. Jennings

Found in the small town that bears its name, Ft. Jennings is another of the Auglaize River forts that were built to secure the supply routes towards Fort Meigs. There is a marker (erected during the Bicentennial in 1976) on St. Rt. 189 just as you start to head south out of town.

Ft. McArthur

I haven't made it to this site yet, but Fort McArthur was a supply fort where the town of Kenton, is currently located. It was part of the line of forts that supplied Fort Stephenson.

Ft. Meigs

This is probably the best known of all the Northwestern Ohio forts. The reconstruction of this 1813 fort makes it one of the largest wooden forts in North America -- its walls enclosing ten acres. Maintained currently by the Ohio Historical Society (one of the few things they have done to preserve Ohio's military past, in my opinion), the fort is located in Perrysburg (a suburb of Toledo), just minutes from I-475. Many of the blockhouses contain exhibits about the fort, the two sieges it withstood, and the War of 1812 in general. The gift shop does carry a decent selection of period-era books and materials. There is talk about building a new museum that would deal with Ohio's military.

Ft. Necessity

As the name implies, this fort was built out of necessity. Located between Kenton and Findlay, off US Route 68, this fort was built as part of the supply chain heading northwards toward Ft. Stephenson. This part of Ohio during the early 1800s was covered by a large marshy area known as the Black Swamp. Necessity was built at the southern end of this wetland, as a jumping off point for the Black Swamp's difficult crossing.

Fort Piqua

Yes, yet another supply fort, located near Piqua. This area of Ohio has seen numerous forts and Indian villages due to its strategic location on the Great Miami River. There is no marker for this fort, but there are markers for the French & Indian War era Ft. Pickawillany, near the Johnston Home (another Ohio Historical Society site north of town on St. Rt. 66).

Ft. Seneca

A marker denotes the location of this Sandusky River supply fort between Tiffin and Fremont, on St. Rt. 53. The marker was erected by the Ohio American Revolutionary War Commission, a group I have had no luck in researching. If anyone knows anything about this commission, please contact me. Evidently, they erected markers dealing with Ohio's early war period.

Ft. Stephenson

I would imagine this might be the second best known fort in Ohio, mainly for its successful defence by George Croghan's small force of Americans and a six-pounder gun known as "Old Betsy." The gun was moved from firing port to firing port to mislead the British into thinking there was more than one artillery piece present. Located on the grounds of the library in downtown Fremont, there is a small obelisk in memory of the fort and Croghan, as well as "Old Betsy" herself. The British took large casualties here. Part of their force marched into a ravine, which "Old Betsy" enfiladed with canister. This failure on the British part, along with the two unsuccessful sieges of Ft. Meigs, saw the end of any serious British threat to Ohio soil for the rest of the war.

Ft. Winchester

Located in Defiance and built near Anthony Wayne's Ft. Defiance. There is a marker on St. Rt. 66 just before you cross the Auglaize River bridge heading south. This fort was an important post, not only serving as a supply fort, but linking Ft. Wayne with Ft. Meigs. Be sure to also check out the many markers for Ft. Wayne (located in the park which overlooks the junction of the Auglaize and the Maumee), as well as the marker across the river that denotes the birthplace of noted Ottawa chief Pontiac.