Votes for Women captures and celebrates the struggle by inviting players to join the suffrage movement, organize support, and campaign for victory across the 48 states that were called to ratify the 19th Amendment in 1919-1920. The story of how suffragists won Votes for Women has never been more relevant given the resurgent movement politics of today. While the 19th Amendment by no means guaranteed every woman access to the ballot, it stands as a testament to the power of movements and the brilliant determination of its members. While there do not seem to be significant records of the troops using Fort Cheshire itself, it seems likely that they took advantage of the blockhouse while stationed in the town.įort Cheshire may no longer be standing, but the location's memory offers an exciting and essential look at early Ohio history.From a small gathering in Seneca Falls, New York to the ratification of the 19th Amendment, the Women’s Suffrage Movement waged a seventy year battle to secure the most fundamental right of citizenship for half of the American population. Some troop leaders, including future President William Henry Harrison and former Kentucky Governor Isaac Shelby, used the town as their winter headquarters. Taking advantage of that, the founders, including Moses Byxbe, provided various valuable services for the soldiers stopping there. Delaware served as a useful stopping point for troops heading to the front along Lake Erie. ![]() While the location did not see battle, the War of 1812 significantly impacted the area. However, it is certain that by the start of the Civil War, the building was gone. The exact date that the blockhouse was destroyed is unclear, with some records showing it was gone as early as 1820, but others showing it to be in use into the decade. Fort Cheshire fell into the second category, being used as a school and as a church meeting house by the local Baptist congregation. Often, they were dismantled after the end of the War of 1812 to build other buildings, while others were used for schools and meeting houses. When they were built, the fortifications were generally intended only for a short time, and many, such as Fort Cheshire, are no longer standing. ![]() According to the Historical Atlas of Delaware County from 1875, there is a story of an attack at Fort Cheshire, but the men on duty had left their posts, and the only evidence of the attack was "marks of blood along the Indian trail, along with moccasin tracks." In fact, according to Touring Ohio, only 5 of the 40 fortifications-excluding blockhouses-built after 1749 were attacked. Most of the activity occurred along the state's western and northern borders instead of the area around Alum Creek. ![]() Similar forts across the region provided necessary shelter for farmers and others displaced by raiding and fighting throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The top floor hung over the bottom floor, which allowed the inhabitants to shoot, drop boiling water on attackers, and stop attackers from setting the structure on fire from a raised location. This blockhouse, which stood from 1812-1820, was one of four built in the county to defend against attacks in the time leading up to the War of 1812. The family campgrounds at Alum Creek State Park feature a bronze plaque commemorating the Fort Cheshire blockhouse. Fall 2022 DNAP eNews - Prairie Restoration.
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