America 250 driving tour: Tracking the troops

TIFFIN — As part of the America 250 celebration, Seneca County is partnering with neighboring counties to offer a "Tracking the Troops, Tippecanoe & Perry Too!" Historic Driving Tour, highlighting sites that were instrumental in the advancement of American interests during the War of 1812. The trail, according to Dr. Bruce Bowlus, Seneca County Museum board president, marks the route taken by American troops as they made their way north, ultimately taking control of Lake Erie in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. Theresa Sullivan, executive director of the museum, said planning the tour has been "a great opportunity to connect and come together." "It has been wonderful partnering with all these different entities," she said. Bowlus said "there was a lot of enthusiasm when we brought it (the tour idea) to other counties," and planning has resulted in a tour that highlights the unique history of Ohio's founding. Combining counties to form a continuous trail of historical sites, he said, "is somewhat unique," and each stop along the driving tour is evidence of the east to west settling of Ohio, which largely was wilderness in the early 1800's. Northwest Ohio was the last part of the state to be settled, Bowlus said, and the forts along the trail basically follow what now is Route 53, since they tended to be founded along the Sandusky River. Because the area was unsettled, instituting forts "that could serve as supply depots along the way" was necessary, allowing fodder and supplies to be delivered and stored. In addition, he said, the supply depots also were planned as fallback positions should American forces be pushed back by the British army and its allies. The driving tour begins in Wyandot County at the site of Fort Ferree, and continues in the county with stops at Toll House, Indian Mill and Overland Inn. In Seneca County, the trail has marks at Fort Ball, the Seneca County Museum, and at Fort Seneca, and then moves into Sandusky County, with stops at Fort Stephenson, Hayes Presidential Library and Museum, Sandusky County Society Museum, and Harrison Rock. The Wood County portion of the trail includes Fort Meigs, and stops in Ottawa County include the Old Fort Sandoski and Harrison-Perry Embarkation Monuments, Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, Battlefield Park in Danbury Township, and the Scott Hagan "Oliver Hazard Perry" Barn Mural. The upcoming driving tour "allows people to connect with those different locations," Bowlus said. Each stop along the trail, Sullivan said, will be marked with a yard sign with the driving tour logo, and will include a QR code to scan to access a blog about each location. The tour will be active until the weather turns for the winter, she said, but a specific date has not yet been determined. Participation in the tour is flexible, with drivers able to do one county at a time or all the counties at once. Sullivan said planning began in the summer of 2025, and the tour officially kicks off April 1 at 1 p.m. Elks Lodge #83 which sits on the site of former Fort Ferree in Upper Sandusky. Attendance is encouraged, she said, as the event will involve participation and activities with all host sites, including a drum and fife corps.