Road Trip From Cleveland To Zoar To See Where American Soldiers Staved Off The British Against All Odds
By Nikki Rhoades|Published January 11, 2021
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Nikki Rhoades
Author
Nikki is a lifelong Ohioan with a love for literature. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Akron and has enjoyed publishing her written work since 2007. She has a love of travel and does so frequently, though she believes that home is where the heart is — she continues to work in and around Cleveland as a digital content specialist to this day, working on everything from commercial scripts and social media posts to grassroots marketing initiatives.
When it comes to the American Revolution, United States citizens rarely hear of Ohio’s role during and following the era’s most iconic battles. Now, Ohio was not yet a state, but the territory did have a teeny tiny military presence in the 1770s… and the site where they operated was located just about an hour away from modern-day Cleveland. The American soldiers founded Fort Laurens in Ohio, but they wouldn’t stay long, as brutal conditions and the cruelty of warfare made the fort ultimately unsustainable. Dust off your time machine and prepare to take a trip through history, because this one fascinating site belongs on your bucket list.
The area in and around Tuscarawas County's Zoar is full of charm and history.
Zoar was largely founded as a place of religious freedom nearly two decades after the turn of the 17th century. However, it has an older history that lies hidden in the area's archaeological record.
It's only home to just a few hundred people today, but its history is rich enough to attract yearly visitors.
As wintertime conditions were harsh, a mere 150 men remained at Ohio's only Revolutionary War fort, as the crew of over one thousand men previously living there had been threatening mutiny. Morale in the remaining soldiers was at an all-time low.
Beginning February 22, 1779, the British forces surrounded the fort's defensive structures. The disadvantaged garrison made a stew by boiling moccasins to stave off hunger, as its remote location had initially made transporting supplies to the site difficult... if not outright impossible. Purportedly, two men managed to sneak out during the siege to hunt, and they brought back a deer. The American soldiers were so ravenous that some ate it raw.
Predictably, the British and their Native American allies were also facing starvation... and reinforcements were marching in from Fort Pitt.
Fort Pitt was the site to which many former Fort Laurens soldiers had been moved. Some 700 men set out to assist the American soldiers. As they mobilized in late March, the starving Brits and their allies grew nervous. They lifted the siege on March 20, 1779, and the relief force arrived three days later.
Ultimately, General George Washington was disappointed to hear of the fort's shortcomings, so he ordered its abandonment. The last soldiers left the site in August of 1779.
Following the fort's abandonment, there was little to no military presence in the area that would become Ohio. Today, visitors can check out Fort Laurens State Memorial. There's not much at the site anymore, as time took its toll on the structure, but all sorts of artifacts are beautifully preserved and displayed in the on-site museum.
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Some modest archaeological features still decorate the site today, offering a glimpse into the lives of the Revolutionary soldiers on the frontier.
Today, soldiers who died defending the sort are still buried at it, and historical reenactors often frequent the site to wow visitors. Though its military presence disappeared in 1779, there's a solemn atmosphere at the site to this very day.
The surrounding land is now a park, and it is beautifully landscaped to welcome visitors.
Bring a picnic if you plan to visit this spot, as picnic tables and shelters provide all sorts of space for visitors to sit down and ponder the history of Fort Laurens.
Though the Revolutionary War hardly left an impact on the landscape that would become Ohio, this site preserves the memory of the old Frontier Wars.
You can visit the site and museum at 11067 Fort Laurens Rd NW, Bolivar, OH 44612, not far from the Towpath Trail.
Fort Laurens in Ohio is a fascinating landmark, even though it only hosted soldiers for a short time. Have you ever visited this historical site and museum? Tell us about your experience in the comments!
