- Ohio History in 2000 Words
- Mound Builders
- Native Ohioans
- The Ohio Company
- Ohio's Wood Forts
- Indian Wars
- War of 1812
- Ohio's Canals
- Ohio's Road
- Scenic Railroads / Museums
- Underground Railroad
- Civil War in Ohio
Built by the legendary general Anthony Wayne, Greene Ville was located roughly 5 miles north of Fort Jefferson at what is now Greenville, Ohio. The fortification had 10' high walls enclosing about 50 acres. It was said that it was the largest wooden fortification ever built.
Unlike most forts of this era, Greene Ville was laid out much like a small city. In fact, if a city map of today was placed on top of the original Greene Ville plat, many of the streets would line up with the original fortification. A double row of cabins, with each cabin housing 10 men, ran around the inside of the exterior walls. Each corner of the fort had a bulwark for defensive purposes of the walls. Blockhouses were built into the central wall of each side. Eight redoubts, each complete with a blockhouse, surrounded the main stockade.
Wayne used Greene Ville as his winter encampment in 1793-1794. In the spring of 1794 General Wayne led his army north toward what would later become known as Toledo. Here he came into contact with a large number of Native Americans.
The fighting from this contact was short, but extremely ferocious. that would lead to a conclusive battle at a place that became known as the Battle of Fallen Timbers along the Maumee River. After the conclusion of that engagement, Wayne returned to Greene Ville and over the next year, worked out a treaty among the Indians who fought in the battle. In the summer of 1795, a number of the Indians returned to Greene Ville to sign the treaty. That treaty would become known as the Treaty of Greenville.
After 1796 the location was abandoned by the military. Later that year parts of the encampment's buildings were burned down to retrieve nails used in its construction and to be reused in a new settlement being built in the Dayton area. over the next several years there were a few Native Americans that used the structure. In time what had not been burned in 1796, slowly began to rot. In 1799 and over the next 3 years, surveys of the land were made. During this time Tecumseh and his brother the Prophet, established a camp on the west side of Mud Creek across from Greene Ville.
However, at the onset of the War of 1812, sections of what was left of the enclosure were refitted and used briefly as a supply depot and staging area. After that war, it was no longer used.
At the time of its initial construction General Wayne named it in honor of his old friend Nathanael Greene. Because of the size of the enclosure, he added the French term Ville, meaning city. General Wayne referred to the site as Greene Ville. Others referred to it as Fort Greenville. Once the fortification disappeared, the name Greenville was used as the sole township of Darke County which was created in 1817. As more people began to arrive here, additional townships were added, and the Greenville Township eventually was reduced to its current size.
Howard Chandler Christy (January 10, 1873—March 3, 1952) was an American artist famous for the "Christy Girl", similar to a "Gibson Girl". Besides painting "The Signing of the Treaty of Greene Ville which hangs in the rotunda of the Ohio Statehouse, he also painted "Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States." Some of his work is on display at New York City restaurant Café des Artistes - they include six panels of wood nymphs and paintings such as The Parrot Girl, The Swing Girl, Ponce De Leon, Fall, Spring, and the Fountain of Youth.
He was born in Morgan County and attended early school in Duncan Falls, Ohio. He then studied in New York at the National Academy and the Art Students League under Chase.
He first attracted attention with his illustrations of the Spanish-American War, published in Scribner's and Harper's magazines and in Collier's Weekly, gaining especial prominence with the series, "Men of the Army and Navy," and a portrait of Colonel Roosevelt.
He was best known, however, for his charming illustrations of the works of such authors as Richard Harding Davis and he created a picturesque and romantic type of society women peculiarly his own. His work is characterized by great facility, a dashing but not exaggerated style, and a strong sense of values. He preferred black and white, but he also worked with success in color. It was through his work as a commercial artist that he became a nationally known illustrator.
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