Fort Laurens State Memorial

Take a visit to Ohio's only Revolutionary War Fort. Named in honor of Henry Laurens, then president of the Continental Congress, Fort Laurens was built in 1778 in an ill-fated campaign to attack the British at Detroit. Supplying this wilderness outpost was its downfall, as its starving garrison survived on boiled moccasins and withstood a month-long siege by British-led Native Americans. The fort was abandoned in 1779. Today, only the outline of the fort remains, but a museum commemorates the soldiers and archeological artifacts from the fort's excavation are on view. The large park surrounding the museum is used for military reenactments and is an ideal picnic site with two shelters. It serves as a Towpath Trailhead and is a popular stopping spot along the America's Byway.