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By Fritz Wenzel, Blade Staff Writer
The Blade (Toledo, OH)
08-23-96
Sen. Mike DeWine (R., O) yesterday promised local political leaders and historical society members that legislation he is now drafting eventually will designate the Fallen Timbers battlefield as a site affiliated with the National Park Service.
Mr. DeWine toured the site yesterday.
The bill, due to be introduced next year, means local leaders will be able to draw on the expertise and experience of the Park Service, but it likely will not translate into a huge financial windfall from the federal government, Mr. DeWine said.
And, he said, the enactment will mean the area would be off limits to developers wanting to build a shopping mall or apartment complexes.
That the legislation would pass is a given, the senator indicated.
The site, near U.S. 24 and I-475, was determined to be at least a major portion of the battlefield after archaeological studies of the area were completed last year.
Mr. DeWine said he was prodded to draft the proposal after Maumee Mayor Steve Pauken traveled to Washington to discuss the matter with him about a month ago.
"It means that it has the prestige of recognition by the Park Service," the senator said, adding that Fallen Timbers will be on the cutting edge of national parks of the future.
"With rare exception, we're not going to see the federal government buy a bunch more land. By and large, our national parks system is complete.
"What we are seeing now is, as we enter the 21st century, and what I think we should see, is the federal government entering into a partnership with local governments and local nonprofit groups, to help local governments and nonprofits achieve the goals of preservation and public access," Mr. DeWine said.
The site is where General "Mad" Anthony Wayne was dispatched by George Washington to lead a successful battle against Indians in 1794.
The victory led to the Treaty of Greenville, which opened up the Northwest Territory to settlement.
"I am committed to making sure this area is preserved for future generations -- to make sure it will always be here.
"We've got enough land in this country for shopping malls. There's plenty of land for that, but, there is only one battlefield that has this much significance to the state of Ohio and the nation," he said.
Marilyn Wendler, director of the Maumee Valley Historical Society, predicted the designation of the site will mean a tremendous boost in prestige for the Fallen Timbers location.
Ted Ligibel, an associate professor of historic preservation at Eastern Michigan University and president of the Maumee Valley Heritage Corridor, said the Park Service designation would help local groups capitalize on the development of the site for tourism.
"We see these three sites as the key to unlocking the heritage of the valley for all kinds of folks -- not just people who are visiting, but people who live here, too," he said of Fallen Timbers and nearby Fort Meigs and Fort Miamis.
"Because the sites are so important on a national scale, it's appropriate that the Park Service play a role in that."
"That role has yet to be defined.
"We are living in a different world now," Mr. Ligibel said.
"The Park Service is not going to come in and buy these sites or even take title to them. They are going to come in and be a partner in the development and interpretation of these sites," he said.
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