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Old Stafford Opera House

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Texas, Colorado County, Columbus

Built 1886 by R.E. Stafford, 1834-1890, millionaire cattleman. Stately interior (which seated 1,000) had gas-burning chandeliers and an elaborate hand-painted curtain. Architect was N.J. Clayton, who designed many opulent Texas buildings. Opening performance, "As in a Looking Glass," starred famous Lillian Russell. Magician Houdini also played here, as did other prominent entertainers. On performance days, special trains ran from distant towns. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1969

(Arts, Letters, Music • Entertainment) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Stafford-Miller House

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Texas, Colorado County, Columbus

Ornate Victorian house built for millionaire cattleman - banker Robert E. Stafford (1834-1890), one of organizers of Columbus Meat & Ice Co. Stafford built home and Opera House in same year, 1886. By design, he could sit in his bedroom and see Opera House stage performances, next door.

Home lost a cupola in 1909 hurricane. It was owned by the Staffords until 1915, then sold to Mrs. Helena Miller, whose decedents still preserve it. Recorded Texas Historic Landmark - 1974 (addendum)
After death of Mrs. Helena Miller on April 14, 1936, house was inherited by E.G. Mill, who is the present owner. (1973)

(Notable Buildings) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

1890 Cornerstone Ceremony

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Texas, Colorado County, Columbus

The building of the Colorado County Courthouse began with a public celebration on July 7, 1890. About 3,000 people attended a barbecue in a grove north of town. They later marched to the Courthouse Square in a procession led by a local marching band. Members of Caledonia Lodge No. 68, A.F.&A.M. laid the cornerstone with Masonic ceremonies. Following the ceremony the crowd gathered together for a return procession to the grove. Later that evening a grand ball was held at the Stafford Opera House. The new Courthouse was completed in February 1891.

(Notable Buildings) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Giant Bluefin Tuna

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North Carolina, Dare County, Nags Head
NC State Record
805.5 lbs.
Caught March 12, 2011,
aboard the "Sea Breeze"
40 mi. SE of Oregon Inlet
Angler: Corey Schultz
Capt: Ned Ashby
Mate: George Cecil
Mounted by: Gray Taxidermy

(Animals • Sports) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Charles Kuralt Trail

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North Carolina, Dare County, Rodanthe

Panel 1
Welcome & Enjoy
Your National Wildlife Refuge
Pea Island


Established in 1938, Pea Island NWR included over 5,800 acres of typical barrier island habitat that has been carefully managed to better provide for the needs of wildlife.

The Refuge plays an important role as a nesting, wintering, and nesting area for many migratory birds, and lies on the northern edge of the nesting range for loggerhead, interpretive and educational programs, and fishing on Pea Island.

From this site, you may enjoy the Refuge Visitor Center, observe wildlife from the North Pond Wildlife Trail, or walk across the dunes to explore the ocean and beach. Birding is especially good during the fall and winter, and fall is the best time for surf fishing. Guided walks and tours are offered in summer and fall.

Panel 2
On the Refuge Road
Charles Kuralt


Charles Kuralt (1934-1997) was a native of North Carolina, with deep family roots in the Tarheel region. As a distinguished radio and broadcast journalist, Kuralt was the innovator of a popular television news feature, “On the Road”. Traveling in a motor home, Kuralt, visited out-of-the-way places across America, bringing them into America’s living rooms. Later as host of the popular “Sunday Morning” program on CBS, Kuralt, ended each broadcast with a few minutes of video on the magnificent natural features of our country. Many of these segments were filmed on our National Wildlife Refuges.

Throughout his travels, Kuralt discovered this remarkable system of wildlands managed for wildlife and continued to share these living treasures with millions of television viewers. His long-time interest in National Wildlife Refuges was recognized, posthumously, with a distinguished Citizen’s Award by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Jamie Rappaport Clark in 1997.

The National Wildlife Refuge System consists of more than 500 units and 93 million acres managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to conserve plants, fish, and wildlife. Founded by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903, the National Wildlife Refuge System stretches from the subtropical islands of the Pacific to the Arctic tundra and from prairie pothole wetlands to forested swamps and desert expanses. Refuges conserve our nation’s natural living treasurers. Enjoy your National Wildlife Refuge System.

Panel 3
Roanoke • Tar • Neuse • Cape Fear
Ecosystem


Stretching from the foothills of the Appalachians to the coastal plain of North Carolina, the Outer Banks region is laced with rivers-Roanoke, Tar, Neuse, and Cape Fear. Flowing into the lagoons contained by the barrier islands of the Outer Banks, the rivers and sea meet to create an incredibly productive and important place for fish and wildlife. The Albemarle, Currituck, Pamlico, and Back Bay estuaries are nurseries for many types of marine life and a feeding and resting area for migratory waterfowl and other wildlife.

Wildlands are still found in this region and contain important habitat needed by resident and migratory species, and endangered plants and animals. These areas are protected by the National Wildlife Refuges in the Roanoke/Tar/Neuse/Cape Fear Ecosystem. Refuges also provide many opportunities for people to enjoy wildlife-oriented outdoor recreation-fishing, hunting, wildlife observation, nature photography, interpretation, and environmental education.

The Charles Kuralt Trail links together some particularly good sites that show the special character and wildlife of the region. Eleven National Wildlife Refuge and a National Fish Hatchery each have a wildlife site for you to enjoy and begin your further exploration of these remarkable wildlife treasurers. You can purchase an audio tape to enhance your trip on the refuge road.

(Animals • Environment) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Welcome to a Wetland

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North Carolina, Currituck County, Corolla

Where land and water meet.

Once considered worthless, North Carolina’s wetlands are now recognized as priceless resources for their roles in conserving water and providing habitat for wildlife.

What good is a Wetland?

Wetlands are like giant sponges that hold and slowly release water during floods.

Wetlands are filters that remove pollutants from water.

Wetland plants anchor the soil and land in place, preventing erosion.

Wetlands provide valuable food, shelter & breeding sites.

In the U.S. most of our seafood depends on wetlands for all or part of their life cycles.

Mosquito infested wastelands

Not long ago, people thought wetlands were worthless mosquito-infested wastelands. About half of our nation’s and North Carolina’s wetlands were destroyed and lost before we realized their full value and range of services. While we know better today, wetlands are still altered and lost every day.

Bog, Swamp, Fen, Pothole, or Marsh are just different names for wetlands. From Alaska to Louisiana, California to North Carolina, all wetlands have one thing in common: they must be soaked in water for at least some part of the year. This affects which plants and animals can survive and thrive there.

Temporary wetlands are critical to ensure survival of many species of frogs and salamanders. 95% of North Carolina’s temporary wetlands have been altered is some way…usually for housing development.

(Animals • Environment) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Fish & Wildlife Service

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North Carolina, Dare County, Rodanthe

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is responsible for protecting and conserving our country’s wild birds, mammals and fish for the enjoyment of all people. Cooperating with the states and other countries, the Fish and Wildlife Service carries out a number of programs to preserve our priceless wildlife heritage.

Administering Federal Aid Programs
Managing over 500 National Wildlife Refuges and some 50 National Fish Hatcheries
Protecting Wildlife Environments
Conducting Research
Helping Endangered and Threatened Species
Enforcing Wildlife Laws
Providing Outdoor Recreation

(Animals • Education • Environment) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Gulls and Terns

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North Carolina, Dare County, Rodanthe

Gulls and terns are both found in coastal areas, and, sometimes inland near large lakes and rivers. Both species occur in various combinations of white, gray, and black. However, most terns have a distinguishable black cap on their heads and a sharply forked tail. Gulls are scavengers, feeding on fish, insects, berries and garabage. Terns feed mainly on fish, diving and plunging into the water to catch their meal.

(captions)
Forster's Tern, Royal Tern, Laughing Gull, Great Black-backed Gull, Common Tern, Caspian Tern, Least Tern, Herring Gull

(Animals • Environment) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Robbins Island

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Minnesota, Kandiyohi County, Willmar
Robbins Island was formed about 25,000 years ago during the Wisconsin glaciation period. Early people used it as a refuge from prairie fires and their enemies. Artifacts, including a copper projectile point about 3 thousand years old, have been found here.

Swan Swanson and family took refuge here from the Dakota (or Sioux) Indians during the Uprising on August 21, 1862.

Before becoming part of the Willmar park system in 1934 the island was owned by J.S. Robbins, pioneer business family of Willmar, from who it received its name.

This Marker was Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Willmar and Erected in 1981

(Native Americans • Wars, US Indian) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

West Liberty Water Works

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Ohio, Logan County, West Liberty

Water Softening Plant

Erected 1941

West Liberty
Ohio

- - - -

Milton W. Stout - Mayor
Donald McAlexander - Clerk
Board of Trustees of - Public Affairs
Wm. Scarbourogh - President
Joseph W. Craig
Clyde L. Lynn

. . . .

Built in cooperation with
Works Projects
Administration
the
Jennings- Lawrence Co.
Engineers

(Charity & Public Work • Industry & Commerce) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

First Baptist Church

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Tennessee, Shelby County, Collierville
By August 1836, before Jesse Collier and Horace Barbee had advertised “Collier Town for Sale” in the Memphis Enquirer, the Baptists had located in the Collierville area. Shiloh Church was established on the north side of State Line Road (Hwy 57) one-eighth mile into Fayette County. By 1857, the church had moved to the village of Collierville and was destroyed during the Civil War. This land was purchased in 1872, at the corner of Walnut and College Streets across from Bellevue Female College for $225.

The church at this site burned in 1909 and again in 1944 and would be rebuilt each time. Additional land was purchased through the years, and in 1978 a thousand-seat sanctuary was built at a cost of $713,236. This property was the home of Collierville First Baptist Church for a hundred and ten years until their move to Byhalia Road in 1995. In 1993, the property was sold to the Town of Collierville and used briefly as government offices. In August 2005, the town removed the church buildings and this park was established. In May 2009, the park was named “Tom Brooks Park” in honor of his contributions to the Collierville community.

(Churches, Etc.) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Onion Ditch Bridge

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Ohio, Logan County, West Liberty
Bridge 174-0.56 Ohio’s first recycled thermoplastic composite bridge built in 2012 construction cost $325,661 built by Logan County Engineer’s Office Bridge Crew materials manufactured by Axion, New Providence, NJ designed by Parsons Brickeroff funded by the Innovative Bridge Research and Deployment Program project engineers: Todd Bumgardner, Bryan Dhume, P.E. Scott C. Coleman, P.E., P.S., Logan County Engineer

(Bridges & Viaducts • Roads & Vehicles) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Collierville High School

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Tennessee, Shelby, Collierville
This land, which was actually in Mississippi until 1838, originally belonged to the Chickasaws. This area has served as a central hub for education in Collierville since 1873, when Bellevue Female College constructed a two story wooden building here. In 1896, the College burned and was replaced with a brick structure. Bellevue College suspended operations in 1904. Collierville High School, founded in 1905, utilized the college’s buildings, and undertook expansions in 1911 and 1924. A new High School facility was built here by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in 1935, the structure remains an ideal example of the “WPA Moderne” architectural style.

Grades 1-12 were all taught at this facility until 1960, when the elementary grades moved to Peterson Lake Road. In 1996, when Collierville High relocated to Frank and Byhalia Roads, this facility became Collierville Middle School, which it remained until 2012, when Collierville Middle moved to Quinn Road. Ownership of this property was transferred from Shelby County Schools to the Town of Collierville in 2012.

(Education) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Otter Creek Bridge Skirmish

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North Carolina, Pitt County, Falkland
(preface)
On July 18, 1863, Union Gen. Edward E. Potter led infantry and cavalry from New Bern to destroy the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad bridge at Rocky Mount. The infantry feinted toward Kinston and returned to New Bern. Potter raided Greenville, then sent part of his cavalry to Rocky Mount and occupied Tarboro. The raiders damaged or destroyed bridges, trains, munitions, and mills before returning to New Bern on July 23, but the Confederates restored rail service by Aug. 1.

(main text)
Union Gen. Edward E. Potter led his cavalrymen through Falkland on Sunday evening, July 19, 1863, on the way to Tarboro and Rocky Mount. Returning to Pitt County from Tarboro the next day, Potter encountered 150 Confederate soldiers under Maj. Thomas Claiborne at the Otter Creek Bridge, a mile and a half west of here. Claiborne had burned the bridge and positioned most of his force on the eastern side of the creek as sharpshooters. He fired prematurely on Potter’s advance with two small mountain howitzers from the 7th Confederate Cavalry, inadvertently warning Potter of the trap. After an hour’s engagement, Confederate Col. William C. Claiborne arrived with reinforcements, including a four-gun Alabama battery, the Montgomery True Blues. The gunners poured a heavy fire from their larger pieces into the Union position across the creek.

Potter later wrote that he found the Confederates “in considerable strength,” and that “their position was a very difficult one to carry.” Sgt. H.A. Cooley, 3rd New York Cavalry, found a black man who told him about an unguarded ford called Dupree Crossing a short distance upstream. Potter’s force crossed the ford and marched away on Otter Creek Church Road. Col. Walter Newton, a local militia officer, and his nephew, W.B.F. Newton, fired on the Federals and then fled into the woods. Potter’s men set Col. Newton’s nearby house afire, but the slaves extinguished the blaze.

Unaware that Potter had evaded him, Col. Claiborne shelled the Union position across Otter Creek into the night. By the next morning Potter’s force had reached Grimsley’s Church in Greene County.

(captions)
(bottom center) The Thomas Dupree Plantation, 2.5 miles west, was where Sgt. H.A. Cooley learned of the ford upstream behind the plantation. — Courtesy Bucky Moore
(upper right) Gen. Edward E. Potter Courtesy U.S. Army Military History Institute; Evan Thomas, 7th Confederate Cavalry Courtesy the Bradsher Family

(War, US Civil) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Greenville

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North Carolina, Pitt County, Greenville
(preface)
On July 18, 1863, Union Gen. Edward E. Potter led infantry and cavalry from New Bern to destroy the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad bridge at Rocky Mount. The infantry feinted toward Kinston and returned to New Bern. Potter raided Greenville, then sent part of his cavalry to Rocky Mount and occupied Tarboro. The raiders damaged or destroyed bridges, trains, munitions, and mills before returning to New Bern on July 23, but the Confederates restored rail service by Aug. 1.

(main text)
About 3:00 P.M. on Sunday, July 19, 1863, Union Gen. Edward E. Potter’s force of 800 cavalrymen entered Greenville. Potter later reported, “The town is completely surrounded by a strong line of intrenchments, but there were no troops, excepting a few convalescents and sick in hospital. The bridge across the Tar River at this place was destroyed. The march was resumed at 6 p.m.”

For the three hours that they occupied Greenville, Potter’s men were busy. Local residents asserted that they destroyed Confederate army commissary and quartermaster supplies, looted civilian shops, robbed people on the streets, and broke into the bars and got drunk. The soldiers also entered the courthouse and the jail, where they freed “25 negroes …who had been imprisoned in attempting to get inside our lines, in order to join the colored regiment at Newbern,” according to the New York Times. The paper claimed that Confederates had condemned the slaves, “but that sentence will not be carried out; at least for the present …as they will soon be clad in the military blue of our army.”

Many North Carolina slaves followed marching Federal armies to the Union-held eastern part of the state. During the war’s last two years, more than 5,000 former slaves from the eastern counties served in the U.S. Army and Navy. Many escaped Pitt County slaves enlisted in the 1st North Carolina Colored Volunteers and other regiments of U.S. Colored Troops.

Potter and his men marched west on the Tar River Road (present-day State Highway 43). “At midnight,” wrote Potter, “we halted at Sparta, within 8 miles of Tarborough.”

(captions)
(lower center) Col. James C. Beecher, commander of the 1st North Carolina Colored Volunteers.- Courtesy Historical Data Systems; Unidentified soldier, U.S. Colored Troops Courtesy Library of Congress
(upper right) Greenville Jail, constructed 1855 and demolished 1882, stood at 3rd and Evans Sts. across from the courthouse. Courtesy Roger Kammerer
(lower right) Potter's Raid from new Bern to Rocky mount and Tarboro (Inset) Gen. Edward E. Potter - Courtesy U.S. Army Military History Institute

(War, US Civil) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Rev. Ruffner's Grave

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West Virginia, Kanawha County, near Charleston
In cemetery nearby is grave of Dr. Henry Ruffner, eminent theologian and writer, called father of Presbyterianism in the Kanawha region. After his ministry, he became head of Washington College, Lexington, Va. Wrote Ruffner Pamphlet.

(Notable Persons) Includes location, directions, 2 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Scuffleton Bridge

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North Carolina, Greene County, Ayden
(preface)
On July 18, 1863, Union Gen. Edward E. Potter led infantry and cavalry from New Bern to destroy the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad bridge at Rocky Mount. The infantry feinted toward Kinston and returned to New Bern. Potter raided Greenville, then sent part of his cavalry to Rocky Mount and occupied Tarboro. The raiders damaged or destroyed bridges, trains, munitions, and mills before returning to New Bern on July 23, but the Confederates restored rail service by Aug. 1.

(main text)
On July 21, 1863 Gen. Edward Potter led his cavalrymen across Little Contentnea Creek on a bridge that stood near here. Returning to New Bern after their raid on Tarboro and Rocky Mount, the Federals eluded a trap set by Confederate cavalry near Falkland in Pitt County, then rode all night and halted briefly near Grimsley Church outside Snow Hill to rest and feed their horses. Throughout July 21, scattered Confederate units, including two companies of the 7th Confederate Cavalry and three companies of the 62nd Georgia, skirmished with the Federals in Greene County, including a site near Hookerton, where the raiders burned a bridge. Col. William C. Claiborne, commanding the 7th Confederate Cavalry and leading the pursuit of Potter, opted to concentrate most of his force at Edwards Bridge and send only a small number here to Scuffleton. Confederate Capt. Daniel W. Edwards, of Whitford’s North Carolina Battalion, failed to burn the Scuffleton Bridge. His men merely tore up some of the flooring planks.

About sunset, Edwards’s Scuffleton Bridge guard fired a volley at Potter’s advance troops, then scattered. The Federals captured twelve Confederates, repaired the bridge with fence rails, and marched across it into Pitt County. As the last of the Union cavalrymen crossed the bridge, Sgt. Josiah Dixon (a Greene County resident) and other Confederates fired into the rear of the column. Believing that they were under attack again, the Federal troopers fled, leaving behind horses and baggage that Dixon and the others captured.

(captions)
(lower left) Potter's Raid from New Bern to Rocky Mount and Tarboro (Inset) Gen. Edward F. Potter Courtesy U.S. Army Military History Institute
(upper right) "Skirmish at Scuffleton Bridge," by Jackie M. McLawhorn, 2006 Courtesy Greene County Museum

(War, US Civil) Includes location, directions, 4 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Chasing Gen. Potter

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North Carolina, Pitt County, Farmville
(preface)
On July 18, 1863, Union Gen. Edward E. Potter led infantry and cavalry from New Bern to destroy the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad bridge at Rocky Mount. The infantry feinted toward Kinston and returned to New Bern. Potter raided Greenville, then sent part of his cavalry to Rocky Mount and occupied Tarboro. The raiders damaged or destroyed bridges, trains, munitions, and mills before returning to New Bern on July 23, but the Confederates restored rail service by Aug. 1.

(main text)
On July 20, 1863, Union Gen. Edward E. Potter led his cavalrymen through Pitt County from Tarboro on the return march to New Bern. After fording Otter Creek and his encounter with Col. Newton, Potter, led by local blacks, took back roads through woods and farms rather than the main roads in an effort to avoid encounters with Confederate troops. Eventually, Potter made his way to the Plank Rd. (Hwy 264 Alt) about 5 miles west. From here, he turned east toward Greenville and then south at Marlboro (Hwy 258) toward Snow Hill. Potter’s men most likely passed by the James May House on their way through the area. The next morning, from Otter Creek, Confederate Col. William C. Claiborne dispatched Capt. Lycurgus J. Barrett and Co. G, 7th Confederate Cavalry, in pursuit of Potter. Capt. Barrett, a member of the May family, knew the area well. Claiborne took quick cuts from Otter Creek to Ballards Crossroads, six miles east, to try to intercept Potter. On arriving at Ballards, Claiborne learned that Potter was near Snow Hill. He then made his way to Scuffleton with the intent of destroying the bridge there and forcing Potter into a trap waiting for him at Edwards Bridge in Lenoir County. Potter’s force was resting at Grimsley’s Church in Greene County.

(sidebar)
James May, whose family was influential in the early development of this part of Pitt County, constructed this house about 1854. May’s descendant Tabitha Marie De Visconti left the house and its contents including a photographic history of Farmville, to the town.

(captions)
(lower left) Potter's Raid from New Bern to Rocky Mount and Tarboro (Inset) Gen. Edward F. Potter Courtesy U.S. Army Military History Institute
(lower center) Capt. Lycurgus Barrett, 7th Confederate Cavalry Courtesy May Museum
(upper right) James May House - Courtesy May Museum

(War, US Civil) Includes location, directions, 3 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

Fort Miamis

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Ohio, Lucas County, Maumee
British Troops constructed Fort Miamis on the banks of the Maumee River between April and August of 1794 with the help of local American Indians. Fort Miamis featured four bastions, a river battery, barracks, officers' quarters, supply buildings and a number of shops. The formidable outpost housed over 130 British troops who manned 14 cannons protecting it from all directions. Approaching by land, hostile troops faced an abatis - a 25-foot deep trench lined with rows of 12-inch thick stakes. Archaeological excavations in 1982 unearthed nails, wall timbers, bottle fragments, regimental buttons, and other artifacts. All that remains today are the earthwork trenches dug around the fort in 1794.

(Forts, Castles • Native Americans • War of 1812 • Wars, US Indian) Includes location, directions, 5 photos, GPS coordinates, map.

British Betray Indian Allies

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Ohio, Lucas County, Maumee
After U.S. victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers on August 20, 1794, the retreating American Indians fled to Fort Miamis. But the British troops - betraying earlier assurances - denied their Indian allies access to the fort.

U.S. troops advanced to within a mile and a quarter of the fort on the day of the battle, and General Anthony Wayne approached within pistol-range on August 22.

Confronted with superior firepower and over 180 British and Canadian troops, Wayne chose not to attack the fort or advance on Detroit.

The British abandoned the outpost two years later.

(Forts, Castles • Native Americans • Wars, US Indian) Includes location, directions, 6 photos, GPS coordinates, map.
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