Larry Fletcher, executive director of Lake Erie Shores and Islands in Ottawa County, told members of the Ohio Lake Erie Commission last month that tens of thousands of tourists are expected to come into the area.
Many will flock to Ottawa County. The Perry Monument at Put-in-Bay is expected to draw more interest than ever, and the re-enactment of The Battle of Lake Erie will take place Sept. 2 a short distance away from Put-in-Bay. Tourists are also expected to come to Port Clinton when the city hosts some of the tall ships coming to the area.
Here are some of the highlights of the War of 1812 events and exhibitions in northern Ohio:
• Ongoing — If you want to begin your War of 1812 experience right away, go to the Rutherford B. Hayes Center in Fremont for the museum’s current exhibition, “The War of 1812 on the Ohio Frontier.” Check the website, rbhayes.org/hayes/, to combine your visit with other attractions, such as a vintage base ball game played under 19th Century rules.
• Ongoing — Fort Meigs in Perrysburg bills itself as “Ohio’s War of 1812 battlefield.” The reconstructed fort was attacked twice by the British during the war. The fort’s revamped website, fortmeigs.org, lists special events held there this year.
• Ongoing — Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial. If you’ve never been there, you may want to know that the visitor center has a good exhibit on the battle. The view from the top of the monument is great, and plenty of special events are planned. For information go to nps.gov/pevi/index.htm
• Aug. 2-4 — On Aug. 2, 1813, the defenders of Fort Stephenson repulsed a British attack in a battle that turned Maj. George Croghan into a war hero. Fremont’s Birchard Library is located where the fort once stood. Fremont organizers plan re-enactments of the battle and other events during an Aug. 2-4 celebration. Details are at fortstephensonbicentennial.com.
• Aug. 9 to Nov. 10 — A new Toledo Museum of Art exhibit, “Perry’s Victory: The Battle of Lake Erie,” opens Aug. 9 and continues into November. Museum officials said the free exhibit will include paintings, prints, sculpture, artifacts, letters and music, all assembled to tell the story of Perry’s decisive naval victory. n Aug. 30-Sept. 1 — Port Clinton will bring in two tall ships from Canada for a festival in the Water Works Park area, featuring historical re-enactors, storytellers, cannon firings, vendors and the OSU marching band. Tours of the ships will be offered.
• Aug. 29-Sept. 2 — A series of events centered in Put-in-Bay, including a visit by tall ships and a Sept. 2 reenactment of the Battle of Lake Erie. Details at battleoflakeerie-bicentennial.com .
• Sept. 16 — Sandusky Library presentation at 6:30 p.m. on “The War of 1812, Fort Meigs and Fort Stephenson” by Larry Nelson, adjunct professor at BGSU Firelands.