William Henry Harrison Played Key Role In Opening Ohio To Settlers
BY BECKY JACOBS — MIRROR REPORTER
Clint Mauk spoke on one of his favorite subjects, the career of William Henry Harrison, during the Wolcott House Museum Guild’s history lecture at the Maumee Branch Library on February 25.
He referred to his 2004 book, Historical Tales of Toledo. All proceeds from the book have gone to help the Rotary Club of Toledo Foundation, which has now netted over $130,000.
Mauk was a former lumberman and banker, but in his retirement has found a new career in oral history presentations.
During his lecture, Mauk touched on Harrison and his importance. He served during three important battles opening the way for settlement to move west in the Northwest Territory.
He served as an aide-de-camp to Gen. Anthony Wayne during the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794, as commander at Fort Meigs during the War of 1812 and in the defeat of the British in Canada at the Battle of the Thames in 1813.
Mauk explained that the three battles were probably the most important battles on American soil. The success of the campaigns led to the opening of the Northwest Territory and establishing the states of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.
After serving with Wayne, Harrison was appointed secretary of the Northwest Territory and its first delegate to the U.S. Congress. In 1801 he became governor of the Indiana Territory.
He was attempting to control and purchase lands from the Native Americans, which led to the long and bitter struggle with the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh and his brother The Prophet. This struggle culminated at the Battle of the River Thames 12 years later.
Prior to this time, in 1811, Tecumseh and The Prophet had established the Indian Confederation. Harrison received orders to attack the confederation along the banks of the Tippecanoe River in Indiana.
However, there was a surprise attack against Harrison’s men as they slept. Harrison’s men led a successful campaign with Harrison becoming known as “Old Tip.” Later, in his run for presidency, the cry of “Tippecanoe and Tyler Too” – referring to Harrison and his vice presidential candidate, John Tyler – carried through the campaign.
Harrison was appointed a major general in the Kentucky militia and later brigadier general of the regular U.S. Army. He was in charge of all troops of the Northwest Territory. Soon, he was promoted to major general.
In February 1812 Harrison and his men began construction of Fort Meigs. The weather conditions were brutal as they began the project under the watchful eye of Capt. Eleazer Wood, a West Point engineer and the namesake of Wood County.
The fort enclosed 10 acres with seven two-story blockhouses, two underground powder magazines and five elevated artillery batteries to protect the perimeter. Mounds of earth, called traverses, were built 12 feet high and 20 feet thick at the base to shield the soldiers from the British cannonballs.
British Gen. Henry Proctor had over 1,000 British and Canadian troops, eight schooners and gunboats and Chief Tecumseh with his 12,000 Indians. The British established their camp across the Maumee River from the fort.
By May 4, the British seemed near victory in their siege of the fort, but Harrison would not surrender.
At long last he received word that Gen. Green Clay was coming down the Maumee with 1,200 Kentucky reinforcements.
Harrison ordered Clay to send 800 men to disable the British cannons with the remaining 400 men to fight their way to the fort.
The plan was successful. However, Clay’s second in command, William Dudley, dismantled the British guns but defied the order to return to the fort. Instead, he chased the enemy toward Fort Miamis and fell into a trap.
There were 650 Kentuck-ians who lost their lives in that battle, which became known as Dudley’s Massacre. It took place where the Maumee Branch Library now stands.
The siege of Fort Meigs lasted seven days. The British withdrew, leaving the Americans in control of the Maumee rapids, but his plans were not finished.
As Harrison planned for a siege of Detroit, he took time to mastermind a U.S. Navy with young Oliver Hazard Perry put in charge. The British still had control of the Great Lakes and Canada.
Perry almost defeated the British Navy – which had never known defeat – single-handedly.
Harrison moved on to his plan for the north. He wanted to pursue the British Army and Proctor into Detroit, Fort Malden and Canada.
The new American hero, Perry, joined forces with Harrison, transporting Harrison’s army across Lake Erie to Fort Malden, the main British port.
The British general was at Fort Malden at the mouth of the Detroit River. Without firing a shot at the invading Americans, the British Army retreated up the Thames River. Tecumseh was furious at this display of cowardice and some say he attempted to shoot the general.
Meanwhile, Harrison’s army marched through Amherstburg, Canada, to the tune of “Yankee Doodle.”
Harrison began his pursuit of the retreating Proctor for 11 days. Proctor decided to make a stand at Moraviantown on the banks of the River Thames in October. The battle was finished in minutes, allowing another success for Harrison’s men.
Harrison then made a move against Tecumseh and his men. After 30 minutes, the Indians fled the field leaving 30 dead including their heroic chief, Tecumseh.
This was the culmination and end of the War of 1812.
Harrison entered politics under the Whig party. He was nominated as a candidate for president in 1836 against Martin Van Buren. Although he lost, he was elected four years later.
He won partly due to his rumored description as a hard cider-drinking westerner with no graces living in a log cabin. This gave the Whigs the theme and slogan they wanted.
Despite the fact that Harrison was a teetotaler from one of the first families of Virginia, the E.C. Booz Distillery created bottles shaped like log cabins and filled them with hard cider.
Harrison took to campaigning in earnest, drawing huge crowds. At every stop log cabins were hauled on wagons leading parades, and each stop offered free hard cider.
A stop at Fort Meigs must have attracted close to 50,000 to 60,000 people. They traveled from almost every state in the union. Steamboats came loaded with passengers up the Maumee. It was quite a celebration including bands.
Harrison was elected overwhelmingly. He took the oath of office on March 4, 1841, a cold and wet day. He delivered the longest inaugural address in American history, lasting over two hours. He wore no hat or coat for the occasion. Only 31 days later, the new president died of pneumonia.
According to legend, the “Curse of Tecumseh” was placed on Harrison that supposedly would cause the death of every president elected in a year ending in zero. To date, this has applied to all but Ronald Reagan, elected in 1980, who survived an assassination attempt. George W. Bush, elected in 2000, was not affected.
Mauk made it a point to interview 15 people at the last Harrison Rally Day, a summer festival held annually in Perrysburg.
He asked who “Harrison” was and why would they name a festival after him. A few thought he had something to do with Fort Meigs and a few thought maybe he was a president, and the others shrugged their shoulders.
Mauk hopes people will now realize the importance of holding a hometown festival and knowing who it represents.

The Wolcott Museum Guild lecture series continues at 10:00 a.m. on Thursdays through March 25 at the Maumee Branch Library. Admission is free.
The March 11 speaker, Diane Bishop, will discuss the lives of Native American women in the 18th and 19th centuries.

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Wolcott Lecture Series Continues On March 11
Diane Bishop will be the featured speaker at the Wolcott House Museum Guild’s history lecture on Thursday, March 11.
Dressed in full regalia, Bishop, a Native American, will interpret what it was like to be a native woman in the 18th and 19th centuries in America.
The free program will take place at 10:00 a.m. at the Maumee Branch Library.
Bishop has lived and worked in Northwest Ohio the majority of her life. She said she has always felt drawn to the West and feels great empathy with the natives on the Navajo reservations.
She has been involved with many activities over the years, and with the sponsorship of the Perrysburg Ohio Bicentennial Committee of 2003, organized the first powwow at Buttonwood Park. She was a co-founder of the Black Swamp Intertribal Foundation and has served as a Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act committee member.
A graduate of Owens Community College and The University of Toledo, she is the secretary to the Perrysburg police chief.
Wolcott Guild lectures at the library will continue on Thursdays through March 25.
For more information, call Judy Justus at (419) 874-6828.

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THE MIRROR’S HISTORICAL CALENDAR:

Victorian Tea Luncheon Featured In Monclova
The Monclova Historical Foundation will host a Victorian tea luncheon on Saturday, March 6 at 12:30 p.m. at the Monclova Community Center. The menu will include a gourmet salad, fresh baked rolls, marinated grilled chicken breasts in creamy garlic sauce, potato casserole, sweet peas with sautéed mushrooms and dessert. Period attire and hats are welcome, but not required. Advance reservations are necessary. Tickets are $22.50 for historical foundation members and $25.00 for nonmembers. To purchase tickets, visit the community center office or call (419) 861-1336.

Antique Appraisal Clinic Planned In Wood County
The Wood County Historical Center and Museum presents its sixth annual “Trash or Cash?” antique appraisal clinic on Saturday, March 13 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. The cost for a verbal appraisal is 10.00 for Wood County Historical Society members and $15.00 for nonmembers. There is a limit of two items per person. For more information, call (419) 352-0967 or visit www.woodcountyhistory.org.

WHS Speaker To Discuss Local Indian Artifacts
Chip Plymale will present “Indian Artifacts of the Whitehouse Area” at the Whitehouse Historical Society meeting on Thursday, March 18 at 7:00 p.m. Plymale will discuss his experiences collecting arrowheads and other tools (such as scrapers, chisels, adzes and blades) that Indians used in their daily life. He will also answer questions about American Indian artifacts that audience members bring. The free program will take place at the Pythian Castle, 6761 Providence St., Whitehouse. For more information contact Nancy Bucher at (419) 878-3141.

MVHS Lecture Series To Explore Transportation
The Maumee Valley Historical Society will host “Maumee Valley History: Transportation,” a series of lectures on Tuesdays through March 30 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. The series will be held at the Wolcott House Museum Complex. The fee is $3.00 per session. MVHS members and volunteers will be admitted free. To register or for more information, call Sandy Miller at (419) 309-0080 or visit www.wolcotthouse.org.

Wakeman Center Announces Seasonal Hours
The Wakeman Archival Research Center in Waterville will be open by appointment only until May 2010. Located at 401 Farnsworth Rd., the center contains records of Waterville organizations, businesses, churches and schools as well as family files. For further information or an appointment, call (419) 878-2576.