The Bloody Ground

Did you know that the beautiful and tranquil Maumee River Valley in which we live has a violent and bloody history? A long list of bloody conflicts appears on the history pages of the Atlas of Toledo and Lucas County, 1901 and, I am sure, a number of other places. Early on the Iroquois clashed with the Miami and Illinois tribes. The Indian stronghold at Kikonga (Ft. Wayne) was frequently in conflict from the French and English wars to General Harmar’s near victory to utter defeat there. Anthony Wayne’s battle at Fallen Timbers and subsequent complete destruction of Indian villages the length of the river in 1794 lead to a fairly peaceful time until the 1812-1915 War with England. Two sieges at Fort Meigs Dudley’s massacre at Maumee, The Battle of River Raisin and not too far away the defense of Fort Stephenson and Oliver H. Perry’s Battle of Lake Erie are all part of our violent past. At the present all is peaceful except the battle of walleye fisherman for parking places and elbow room in the river. We assume that this one is not bloody.