|
|||||
| |
Editorial: The Blade (Toledo, OH)
02-03-98
ALTHOUGH creation of an upscale regional mall remains a distant prospect on land in Maumee optioned by the Isaac Group Holdings, Inc., it is important that supporters of an adjacent memorial for the Battle of Fallen Timbers maintain a vigorous campaign.
The Fallen Timbers site is to the northwest of the intersection of I-475 and U.S. 24. It does not look particularly remarkable and is essentially devoid of characteristics that would distinguish it from any other plot of land in this part of Ohio.
But what's special about the land -- prosaically described as Parcel B in the city of Toledo's option contract with the Isaac Group -- is not what it reveals but what it hides. It was on these acres more than 200 years ago, in 1794, that the Battle of Fallen Timbers was fought. It was a battle that has been described as opening the way for Ohio statehood.
Mayor Carty Finkbeiner has offered 15 acres for a memorial in an as-yet-unspecified location. The present memorial is on the south side of U.S. 24 and offers a scenic view but is not thought to be the site of the battle. A memorial not on the actual site would seem to have no real purpose.
Historic preservation is all too often a little-valued commodity in this area. Historic buildings downtown are slated for the wrecking ball with nary a thought for their meaning to the city and its history. To the casual observer, that attitude has carried over to Fallen Timbers.
Instead of being an after-thought to commercial development, the concentration should be on making the battlefield the centerpiece of a history trail or a national historic site affiliated with the National Park Service. The park service is reportedly interested in such a plan.
As former Blade senior associate editor Ralph Johnson noted in a backgrounder in our Sunday Behind The News section, such affiliation would help in interpreting and marketing the site. Those are key elements in any plan to transform the battle site into a tourism destination, perhaps in conjunction with For Meigs, Fort Miamis, and even extending to Put-In-Bay and the Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial.
The importance of the Battle of Fallen Timbers in establishing U.S. domination in this area; of the siege of Fort Meigs in the War of 1812, and the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813 must not be underestimated as historical mile-markers or attractions for visitors.
Creation of an appropriate memorial to the Battle of Fallen Timbers is recognition of this region's history and a potential economic generator. It's both the right thing to do and an economically viable thing to do. The significance of Fallen Timbers will endure long after the last shopper has left the mall.
That thought should be borne in mind when the time comes to decide how much land to devote to the memorial.
NOTICE: This article, which may be copyrighted, is reprinted with specific permission granted to Heidelberg College. Further reprint rights must be secured from the publisher.
Heidelberg College / Office of College Relations
/ webmaster@heidelberg.edu