Farnsworth Metropark is a

regional park A regional park is an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, recreational use or other reason, and under the administration of a form of local government. Definition A regional park can be a special park distri ...

Waterville, Ohio Waterville is a city in Lucas County, Ohio, United States, along the Maumee River, a suburb of Toledo. The population was 6,003 at the 2020 census. History Waterville was platted in 1830 by settler John Pray on the west bank of the upper Maumee ...

, owned and operated by

Metroparks Toledo Metroparks Toledo, officially the Metropolitan Park District of the Toledo Area, is a public park district consisting of parks, nature preserves, a botanical garden, trail network and historic battlefield in Lucas County, Ohio. Founded durin ...

. The long narrow parks sits on the western shore of the

Maumee River The Maumee River (pronounced ) ( sjw, Hotaawathiipi; mia, Taawaawa siipiiwi) is a river running in the United States Midwest from northeastern Indiana into northwestern Ohio and Lake Erie. It is formed at the confluence of the St. Joseph and ...

with a view of several islands, including Missionary, Butler and Indian islands, all of which are owned by the State of Ohio.

Geological features

''Roche de Bout''

The ''Roche de Bout'' or ''Roche de Boeuf'' (French for "rock of beef" or "buffalo rock") is a big limestone outcrop which forms an island near the center of the Maumee River. It was a landmark for early explorers and natives. The landmark was used by the

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at th ...

Shawnee The Shawnee are an Algonquian-speaking indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands. In the 17th century they lived in Pennsylvania, and in the 18th century they were in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, with some bands in Kentucky a ...

Lenape The Lenape (, , or Lenape , del, Lënapeyok) also called the Leni Lenape, Lenni Lenape and Delaware people, are an indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, who live in the United States and Canada. Their historical territory inclu ...

and their allies as a location for councils. Leaders of these tribes met there before the

Battle of Fallen Timbers The Battle of Fallen Timbers (20 August 1794) was the final battle of the Northwest Indian War, a struggle between Native American tribes affiliated with the Northwestern Confederacy and their British allies, against the nascent United Stat ...

with General

Anthony Wayne Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 – December 15, 1796) was an American soldier, officer, statesman, and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his mi ...

in 1794, which was a pivotal battle for the settlement of the Northwest Territory. Aug. 19, 1794, Wayne built a fort on the bank of the river opposite the rock, named Fort Deposit, because it was a storage depot for ammo and supplies. The fort was abandoned after Wayne bivouacked the wounded there and returned to Fort Defiance.Historical Marker Dedication on Waterville Roche de Boeuf Day
Waterville, Ohio Historical Society It was used as one of the supports for the now abandoned Interurban Bridge. At one time, the Interurban Bridge, which crosses the river at the park, was the largest bridge that was filled with earth and reinforced by concrete. Today the bridge, which formerly served as part of a commuter rail line, is in ruins. In 2001, the rock and bridge an Ohio Historical Society Bicentennial Marker was dedicated to them for their historical significance. Visitors to Farnsworth Metropark can easily wade to through the Maumee River out to the Roche de Bout.

Bowling Green Fault

The Bowling Green Fault, which goes directly through the park, is the only fault line around the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five la ...

. Running from

Findlay, Ohio Findlay ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hancock County, Ohio, United States. The second-largest city in Northwest Ohio, Findlay lies about 40 miles (64 km) south of Toledo. The population was 40,313 at the 2020 census. It is home to ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

, it is long fault. When the Maumee water line is very low, the fault is exposed.

References

External links

Metroparks ToledoPark Map
Protected areas of Lucas County, Ohio Parks in Ohio Works Progress Administration in Toledo, Ohio Civilian Conservation Corps in Ohio Metroparks Toledo {{NorthwestOH-geo-stub