Saturday, August 07, 2010

Ohio History: Fort Laurens

I went a-wandering again on Thursday with my new toy (camera) and visited Fort Laurens -- Ohio's only Revolutionary War Fort -- about twenty miles south of me just outside Bolivar. You can learn more about it here.

For now there's the museum and the cemetery as well as markers of the fort's dimensions and reproductions of its excavation. And yes, the re-enactment people use
the grounds now and again.

Do remember that clicking on any of the photos will enlarge them.

Here's the museum: It's not very large but every time I go they've added new displays and great videos on the Fort and its inhabitants.



This map shows the layout of the original Fort.



Here's a reproduction of the living quarters at the fort when construction began in the fall of 1778:



I found the mannequins (is that the right word?) fascinating because they're so lifelike. Here are photos of an American soldier and his enemies: the British and the Native Americans. (Please note that not all the tribes sided with the British and many Native Americans were decorated for their heroism in supporting the Patriots' cause.) And yes, the uniforms are authentic.





I got a chuckle out of these two plaques in the museum. I'm glad to know that these brave men and women kept their sense of humor through an Ohio winter.

Questions:



Answers:



Hope you enjoyed the first leg of my road trip. Tomorrow we'll be heading a few miles down the road from the fort to a lovely and fascinating restored village founded in 1817.

Hope y'all are having a great day!!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!!

Kay

12 comments:

  1. Hi, Kay. I thought you had taken a hiatus from blogging, but I see you are back. The kind of road trip you are taking, seeing all the local history et al, is one of my favorite things to do.

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  2. Sounds like you're having fun. Yae! They sure did have a hard time back then. I'm glad they could keep a sense of humor in trying times.

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  3. gigi-hawaii12:36 PM

    What brand and kind of camera are you using? Do you use one hand to take the shots? If so, it is pretty steady! Congrats on the fine pictures!

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  4. looking at the american soldier's dress made me think that his encounters with Butler's guerrilas raiding from Canada and dressed in a similar fashion made for interesting skirmishes.

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  5. This is a very interesting road trip and nice to learn a little more history about Ohio. I did know they had some Indian wars there based on some novels I read but that's about the sum of my knowledge until your road trip.

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  6. Fran: Not a hiatus -- just on overload dealing with issues and assorted other nonsense. I;m taking road trips to separate myself from the idiocy -- it's great therapy!

    Kay: Yes, I am! And yeah, that they could find humor in their lot was great. Then again, I'm the girl who while in ER with a fractured neck asked, "They shoot horses, don't they?" My frirnds say I'll joke on my deathbed and they are prolly right. I think laughter is the best medicine.

    Gigi: I have brand new Nikon Coolpix and it's a really excellent little thang. Sometimes I use one hand; sometimes two as I do have some use of my left arm and hand.

    GFB: Indeed!!! I'm not clear on whether Butler got this far south.

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  7. Rain: Oh yeah, we had Indian Wars here in boring Ohio and I suspect that some of them were my ancestors. One of the reasons I decided to share this stuff is that Ohio gets a bad rap sometimes. We have a rich and long history here and I'm having fun sharing it.

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  8. Thanks for the history lesson and the photos on your road trip. I am looking forward to more.

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  9. Interesting! And why does Ohio get a bad rap (sometimes)??? That's never happened in any state where I've ever lived!! (haw)

    I used to love the old Army forts around Bismarck. Fort Apple, south of Bismarck, was where Custer (the locals call him Custard) lived before he left for Little Big Horn.

    Welcome back!!

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  10. looks like you're enjoying your new camera
    I love the photos
    have fun on your road trip

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  11. It's nice that they can restore some of those historical landmarks.

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  12. Darlene: You're welcome!! I might even get up to Geneva-on-the-Lake if I can work it in.

    M.E.: LOL Right. I hope they get the funds to re-build the Fort. The next time I have an extra $100 lying around, I'm going to buy a log for it.

    Dianne: I love my new camera and I discovered that I have to go back down there. Fun!!!

    Robert: Indeed!!! I also believe that we can learn a lot from history. It was always one of my favorite subjects. My kids used to tease their dad and I that a sign that read "historic site" was like a red flag in front of a bull and meant there was going to be a pit stop.

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