Oberlin's 1812 Harrison Military Road Marker

Usually this blog concerns itself with mid-20th Century local history – but today I'm going to go back a little further than usual. This year is the 200th anniversary of the start of the War of 1812, and much of it was fought right here in Ohio.

What many of you may not know is that Lorain County used to have a historical marker related to the War of 1812. It was located just west of Oberlin on what is now State Route 511.

The marker (shown at left) commemorated a military supply road cut by our troops through Ohio's dense frontier forests. The road went from Ashland north to Oak Point, just west of Lorain. While the road wasn't the scene of any of the battles, it was an important link in the ability to move troops and supplies around – and thus it was honored with a monument.

The whole story of the historical marker is the subject of my article in the latest issue of – you guessed it – the Black Swamp Trader & Firelands Gazette. You can pick up your free copy at the Vermilion Farm Market on U.S. 6, or at the Oberlin Public Library in Downtown Oberlin on State Route 58.

The article is kind of a sad story, because the marker was erected and dedicated in 1914 to make sure that the event it commemorated wasn't forgotten. But now – since the marker no longer exists – it seems that both it and its subject are forgotten – so that's why I chose it as the subject of my article.