Welcome to the City of Defiance Local History Page!
Let's talk local history. Local history is an underrated form of history that is important in keeping the history of cities and towns alive. Here you will find information on Defiance local history.
Ten Historical Facts About Defiance
The city was named after Fort Defiance. This fort was built under the orders of "Mad" Anthony Wayne. It was built at the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee river.
In Defiance there is a Maumee and Erie canal that was used frequently causing commerce to thrive. It was built in 1845 and used until 1850 when the railroad became popular.
The Riverside cemetery was built in 1890 but has veterans buried from 1794 and the War of 1812.
Defiance is apart of the Great Black Swamp which has allowed for farming to flourish.
In 1811 Johnny Appleseed had a nursery on the bank of the Maumee river. He helped introduce apples to Ohio. Now to celebrate him Defiance has a festival called the Johnny Appleseed Festival.
In 1904 the Defiance Public Library was built. Before the building was built businesses and government buildings would take turns keeping the books.
Defiance College initially was a college just for women and it was called the Defiance Female Seminary in 1850.
In 1846 Defiance only had 700 residents but in the next 30 years it increased to 6,000 people.
Auglaize Village was founded in 1966 by the Defiance County Historical Society. It is a museum used to educate the public on Defiance's rich history.
Independence Dam State Park was initially used by Native Americas as it provided water, fish, and a travel route.
Photographed here is a photo of the Auglaize Village general store