A visit to Fort Defiance (Project 88 report)

"Project 88" continues!

Last Sunday was a beautiful day, and I decided a drive would be better than laying on the couch. I decided I would visit Defiance, Paulding and Van Wert counties, through which I had recently only driven, with time not allowing me to get out and look around a bit.

So I set my car toward Fort Defiance, situated where the Auglaize River empties into the Maumee, around which the city of Defiance later formed.

Upon setting off, I remembered I had eaten no real breakfast and no lunch, so my eye was peeled for someplace to stop. Here's where I pulled in:

The Rustic Haven is on the southeast corner of Grand Lake Saint Mary, and you can pilot your boat right near the restaurant. When I turned off, I thought it would be a convenience store. When I got inside, I asked for a sandwich and drink to go, but the nice lady said it would take ten minutes; so I figured, why not just relax and eat here? Here's the inside:

All that was in Auglaize County, by the way...

Next stop was Jennings Township, in Van Wert County. Here's what I'm guessing was once a school; you can see these old buildings all across Ohio and, I would bet, the old Northwest Territory. You can see that this building was modified.

After this I continued north on country roads, and came upon this drive in theater, still in operation, as I reached the old Lincoln Highway. Oh, you don't know the Lincoln Highway? Click on the link, and learn about the "auto trail" system of national highways before not only the interstates, but the federal highway system. It is fascinating to come upon remnants of that old system, for example, you will find roads named "Dixie Highway" all over Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky and points south.

Next stop was Melrose, Ohio. I expected a small town, and I was not disappointed. Very little to Melrose. I stopped and got a shot of the ice cream place, and then of the post office. A few minutes later, an older man and two boys rounded the corner and walked up for ice cream; that would have been a better picture, but I didn't want them to think I was some sort of creepy old guy because I was snapping their photos.

Finally I made it to Defiance. What a charming town! Here's some information about Fort Defiance:

I had no idea there was an "Anthony Wayne Parkway" but there it is, right on the plaque, which at any rate, nicely summarizes the story. Below is the commanding heights General Wayne chose. As I stood near that gun and saw the boat rounding the bend, I imagined firing on it, but in the end I waved and they waved back:

Near Fort Defiance Park is the Defiance Library. I don't approve of the design of the expansion. What do you think?

 I would have liked staying longer, but I had plans for dinner -- that is, a steak waiting to be grilled and some other nice things to be enjoyed with it. Plus, the seminarian who was staying the summer was planning to head out at 5:30 so I wanted to see him off. (No, I invited him for dinner, but he had an invitation from someone else.) My route back took me through Fort Jennings, Delphos, and near Kossuth and past the "Bloody Bridge." Along the way I thought about the days when this was frontier, and life was perilous -- hence all the forts.

Anyway, this is a busy day, and this post has taken me longer to write than I wanted. But I have another post coming up on my visits yesterday to Hancock, Hardin, Marion, Delaware and Union counties. Stay tuned!