“History lives … as a living force that artists help us interpret and that guides the way we think about our current moment,” said Paul Farber of George Washington University. He believes that monuments exist “to create a usable past” for this relatively young country.
Monuments and memorials of all types in our region tell the individual stories about soldiers and the wars they’ve fought, and even convey sentiments about those times in our country’s life. Just as important, they allow our local communities to celebrate those heroes and for all of us to learn about their stories too.
So, celebrate our history by taking some interesting tours and visiting memorials around the region:
Memorials & Museums – celebrate veterans from many conflicts and areas of service.
Lucas County Veterans Memorial
810 Jackson St. (near Erie), Civic Center Mall, downtown Toledo
www.lucascountyvets.org
Perry’s Victory & International Peace Memorial
Put-in-Bay
www.nps.gov/pevi/index.htm
Hancock County Veterans Memorial & Medal of Honor Memorial (also Underground Railroad and Fort Findlay markers)
300 S. Main St., Findlay
Williams County Veterans Memorial
875 E. Main St., Montpelier
419.737.2188
Clay Center Veterans Memorial
440 Main St., Genoa
Parks – Visit the memorials and enjoy the park at the same time.
Veterans Memorial Park
6710 Providence St., Whitehouse
https://www.facebook.com/veteransmemorialparkwhitehouse/
Sandusky County Veterans Memorial Park
148 N. Park Ave., Fremont
Sandusky County Veterans Memorial Park | Facebook
Veterans Memorial Park
350-378 Central Ave., Sandusky
Sandusky County Veterans Memorial | sanduskycountyvets
Veterans Memorial Park
115 Monroe St., near Armory Park, Port Clinton
Veterans Memorial Park
210 Finke Rd., Oak Harbor
Veteran’s Memorial Park | Shores & Islands Ohio (shoresandislands.com)
Battlefields – Surround yourself with history.
War of 1812 First Battle Site & Cemetery,
E. Bay Shore Rd., Mineyahta-on-the-Bay (Marblehead)
Fallen Timbers Battlefield
Anthony Wayne Trail / Route 24, Maumee
Fallen Timbers Battlefield and Fort Miamis National Historic Site (U.S. National Park Service) (nps.gov)
Fort Meigs War of 1812 Battlefield
29100 W. River Rd., Perrysburg
Fort Meigs – Ohio’s War of 1812 Battlefield
Monuments – honoring battles, wars, heroes.
Civil War monuments:
- Jamie Farr Park, Toledo
- 102 E. Broadway, Maumee
- Hood Park, Perrysburg
- S. Fulton St. and Park St., Wauseon
- Park Square, Milan
- 3416 Columbus Ave., Sandusky
- Town Park, Columbus Grove
Veterans Freedom Flag Monument
1161 Buckeye Rd., Lima
Veterans Freedom Flag Monument | Lima, Ohio (uawfreedomflag.com)
Cemeteries – a tour showcases monuments and other tributes
Toledo Memorial Park – 911 First Responders Last Call Memorial, Veterans Memorial Tower,
Wall of Honor
6382 Monroe St., Sylvania
Toledo Memorial Park
Johnson’s Island Confederate Civil War Prison Cemetery
Gaydos Dr., Marblehead, Ohio
johnsonsisland.org
Civil War monuments are found at many cemeteries around the region:
- Woodlawn Cemetery, Toledo (Henry Neubert and James Steedman gravesites)
- Forest Cemetery, Toledo (George Forsyth and Mark Wood gravesites, plus a granite monument)
- Monclova-Swan Creek Cemetery, Monclova Township
- North Oregon Cemetery and Willow Cemetery, both in Oregon
- Wakeman Cemetery, Waterville
- Union Hill Cemetery, Bowling Green (John Wilson gravesite)
- Maple Grove Cemetery, Findlay; Union Cemetery, McComb; and Fountain Cemetery, Fostoria; in Hancock County
- McPherson Cemetery, Clyde
- Riverside Cemetery, Defiance; and Forest Home Cemetery, Hicksville; in Defiance County
- Bellevue Cemetery, Bellevue (Charles Gambee gravesite)
And Head North
Nearby, in Michigan, you can find a range of veterans’ memorials and museums that are not too far away. For example, try these:
Brighton Veterans Memorial
8714 Millpond Trail, Brighton, Michigan
Brighton Veteran Memorial (brightonveteransmemorial.info)
Vietnam Veterans Historical Museum
1095 N. Dixie Hwy., Monroe, Michigan
Vietnam Veterans Historical Museum | Michigan
For more Veteran related sites to visit go to DVS.OHIO.GOV/VETERAN-BENEFITS/ BENEFITS-RESOURCES/TRAVEL
