George Rogers Clark Park photographs   Save
Historic Sites
Description: Located just west of Springfield are the 250 acres of the George Rogers Clark Park. In 1924, the Clark County Historical Society (CCHS) erected a monument to George Rogers Clark, marking the site of the Battle of Piqua where Clark and his men defeated the Shawnee Indians in 1780 in the largest Revolutionary War battle fought in Ohio. The CCHS managed the monument until 1930, but donated the land and the monument to the State of Ohio due to financial difficulties of the Great Depression. The first of these photographs shows the monument in 1939. The other three images, taken in 1943, show men fishing at the lake, a makeshift diving board, and the park's shelter house. The first photograph measures approximately 3.5 by 5 inches (8.89 by 12.70 cm), and the other three measure 3.75 by 3 inches (9.53 by 7.62 cm). The area of the present-day George Rogers Clark Park was the Shawnee village of Piqua in the late 18th century. It was a hotly contested area, and rumors had been circulating that the Shawnees were planning to attack colonists in Kentucky. The Battle of Piqua occurred on August 8, 1780, when General George Rogers Clark and a band of Kentucky militiamen forced the Native Americans to leave the area. It is believed that Daniel Boone was among those in Clark's assembly. Tecumseh, the future Shawnee chieftain, was twelve or thirteen at the time and witnessed the attack. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om3392_5759512_001
Subjects: American Indians in Ohio; Geography and Natural Resources; State parks & reserves; United States History Revolution, 1775-1783; Battle of Piqua
Places: Springfield (Ohio); Clark County (Ohio)