Wilhelm: Lemmon recognized Toledo War at statue dedication
The Soldier’s Statue that stands in Fort Stephenson Park was created to honor all who served. At the time of its creation and dedication in 1885, that meant the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the war with Mexico and the Civil War.
Those honored didn’t include another “war” in which the men of Sandusky County played a big part.
But that wasn’t forgotten.
Captain John Lemmon of Clyde, who served with distinction in the Civil War and was a successful lawyer, common pleas judge and community leader, addressed that during his address at the statue’s dedication. As historian for the project, Lemmon told the crowd, “I should have mentioned the bloodless Michigan war – for Sandusky County furnished a brigadier general and one regiment of militia and many heroes.”
Toledo War resulted from poor map of the lakes
The so-called Toledo War had its roots in the shortcomings of 18th century knowledge of geography. In 1787, Congress drafted the Northwest Ordinance, which among other things, decreed the border between Ohio and Michigan was to run on “an east and west line drawn through the southerly bend or extreme of Lake Michigan” until it intersected with Lake Erie.
Unfortunately, the best available maps depicted Lake Michigan’s southern tip as being several miles north of its true location. As a result, the original border placed the mouth of the Maumee River and the future city of Toledo in northern Ohio rather than in southern Michigan.
A dispute erupted and lasted for years.
In April, 1835, General John Bell − then brigadier general of the Ohio Militia (and twice mayor of Lower Sandusky/Fremont and probate judge among other positions) − was ordered by the governor of Ohio to raise 500 men to rendezvous at Lower Sandusky. He was then to meet with the governor, to discuss strategy, I assume.
Ohio invested in the Miami Canal at Maumee
Capt. Lemmon pointed out, “A fact which lent importance to the question involved was this: Ohio had at great expense constructed the Miami Canal, which terminated in the Miami of the Lakes — Maumee — at Manhattan. (Erie Canal and Lake Erie) If the Michigan claim should prevail, the terminus of this canal would be outside the state that built it.”
The territorial governor of Michigan − (a brash, aggressive young Stephen Mason) − called out a body of troops to rendezvous on the Michigan side, and matters looked threatening. “April 28, 1835, some 50 men of Governor Mason’s mounted forces, armed with muskets came upon an Ohio surveying party which was engaged in running out the line, captured the most of the part and bore them away to Tecumseh, Michigan.”
Eventually, President Andrew Jackson, upset with Mason, entered the fray and removed him from his post. Michiganders almost immediately voted the “Boy Governor” back into office, but tempers cooled and the two sides had called off their militias.
Jackson and the federal government looked to settle the dispute. Finally, on Dec. 14, 1836, Michigan reluctantly accepted a Congressional compromise that saw it relinquish its claims on the Toledo Strip in exchange for admittance to the union as the 26th state.
Michigan, meanwhile, was compensated with the Upper Peninsula between Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. At the time, many Michiganders considered the trade-off a bad deal, but public opinion shifted after the region was found to contain valuable mineral deposits.
Roy Wilhelm started a 40-year career at The News-Messenger in 1965 as a reporter. Now retired, he writes a column for both The News-Messenger and News Herald.
This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Wilhelm: Lemmon recognized Toledo War at statue dedication
