Category: Frontier Fridays
Forging a Frontier | 9. Life on the Frontier: Hardships and Hospitality in Early Mercer and Auglaize
Early settlers in Mercer and Auglaize faced wolves, swamp fevers, and wilderness hardship. This article details their daily struggles—clearing forests, guarding crops, and relying on neighbors—to survive and build lasting communities on Ohio’s frontier.
Captain James Logan, a Shawanee warrior and Tecumseh’s nephew, fought for the U.S. in the War of 1812. This article honors his final mission, heroic sacrifice, and the lasting legacy he left in Wapaukonnetta and beyond.
Once known as Girty’s Town, St. Mary’s grew from a military post into a vital canal hub. This article traces its evolution—from War of 1812 depot and treaty site to industrial center along the Miami & Erie Canal.
In the 1830s, German immigrants carved thriving towns from Ohio wilderness. This article explores how New Bremen and Minster—built on industry, culture, and community—became distinct, prosperous settlements along the Miami & Erie Canal.
Before the canal, Auglaize County’s trade crawled by river. The Miami & Erie Canal changed everything—linking towns like St. Mary’s and New Bremen to national markets, fueling mills, factories, and breweries, and transforming isolated settlements into industrial hubs.
From makeshift courtrooms to $5 tax contracts, Mercer and Auglaize counties built civil government from the ground up. This article traces the counties’ earliest officials, records, and courts—showing how law and order took root in Ohio’s former Indian lands.
In 1843, Mercer County settlers rose up against the State of Ohio, cutting the Miami & Erie Canal reservoir to reclaim flooded farms. This dramatic act of defiance—now known as the Reservoir War—reveals how frontier justice collided with state power in early canal-era Ohio.
Wapaukonnetta marked the Shawanee’s final stronghold in Ohio. This article traces its legacy—from Black Hoof’s final years to the 1832 removal—revealing a turning point where diplomacy, resistance, and forced migration reshaped Auglaize County’s future.
Long before canals or roads, portages shaped the future of Mercer and Auglaize counties. This article traces how short land routes between rivers—especially the Loramie Portage—defined trade, war, and settlement. Drawing from Knapp’s 1873 History of the Maumee Valley, it shows how geography guided forts, treaties, and canal routes, forming the backbone of Northwestern Ohio’s early development.
