Defiance - 2003 Community & Resource Guide

Visitors to Defiance are fascinated by the area’s rich and colorful history. Many historical sites and buildings have been preserved and give a glimpse of life at various periods of the area’s development. Among these sites are Fort Defiance and Fort Winchester, as well as various markers in Pontiac Park depicting historic events which took place near the confluence of the Maumee and Auglaize rivers. Pontiac Park is named to honor Chief Pontiac, who was born at the site.

Defiance County is in the heart of the historic Maumee River Valley. The county is part of what was once known as “The Great Black Swamp.” According to Howe’s History of Ohio, the swamp was once as large as the state of Connecticut. Howe declared that, when cleared and drained, the region would be “the garden of Ohio.” The swamp’s rich soil was an attraction, and settlers labored hard to dig ditches to drain the swamp, creating exceptionally fertile farmland.

The area was home to many Native Americans. When American pioneers began moving into these areas north and west of the Ohio River, the Indians, aided by the British in Canada, fought fiercely for their homes in the Ohio Frontier. It wasn’t until General “Mad” Anthony Wayne led his army to victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1794 that the Americans were able to claim the region. Wayne built Fort Defiance at the confluence of the Maumee and Auglaize rivers, where the City of Defiance now stands. Today, the Rotary Club maintains a beautiful walkway around the fort grounds, which are located at Fort and Washington streets. The Fort Defiance Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution has placed a marker that tells the history of the fort.

Johnny Appleseed, known to white men as an eccentric benefactor and to the Indians as a medicine man, made Defiance one of his principal headquarters from 1811 to 1828. Defiance was also the site of Fort Winchester during the War of 1812.

An excellent place to experience the history of the Defiance area is at the AuGlaize Village and Farm Museum, a project of the Defiance County Historical Society. The restored village contains 22 buildings typical of northwest Ohio in the 1800s. AuGlaize Village is the site of many special events during the year; the largest is the Johnny Appleseed Festival in early October.

Defiance’s Holgate Avenue Historic District also provides a glimpse of days gone by. The structures in the area serve as a visual guide and timeline of the architectural styles that were popular during its 70-year period of development. Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire, Queen Anne, Colonial Revival, Prairie, Craftsmen and Bungalow styles are all represented.

For the outdoor enthusiast, Independence Dam State Park offers facilities for camping, boating, hiking, fishing, picnicking, bicycling, scenic drives and winter sports. The 606-acre park is approximately 3 miles east of Defiance on State Route 424. For more information, call (419) 784-3263.

Hikers will also enjoy the Buckeye Trail, which passes through the Defiance area along the Maumee River, Miami and Erie Canal bed, as well as along quiet rural roads. Bicyclists will enjoy the Northwest Ohio Rivers Council Memorial Bicycle Trail. The 6- to 7-mile loop begins at Oxbow Lake, goes to the “ghost town” of Evansport in Defiance County and then connects with the Williams County section.

The Flowing Rivers Festival is a highlight of summer in Defiance. The mid-summer event concludes with a big Fourth of July celebration. Defiance-area families flock to events such as hydroplane races, canoe and raft races, and waterski shows. Among the festival’s regular features are an antique car show, nationally sanctioned kneeboard tournaments, an arts and craft show, and a huge fireworks display on the Fourth of July. Many other festivals, shows and special events take place in the Defiance area throughout the year, from motorcycle, farm toy, automobile and model railroad shows in the spring; to golf tournaments, canoe and kayak races, herb and art fairs, and the Defiance County Fair in the summer; to the Halloween parade, historic tours, beauty pageants, the Festival of Trees and visits with Santa in the fall and winter. The Defiance County Farmers Market is open each week from June through October at Pontiac Park.

Visitors to the Defiance area may choose from accommodations ranging from campgrounds to motels to bed and breakfast inns. There is also a wide variety of restaurants offering fine dining.

For more information about what to see and do in the historic Defiance area, call the Greater Defiance Area Tourism and Visitors Bureau at (800) 686-4382, or visit www.defiancetourism.com.