Old Garrison (Tour)

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Located at the confluence of French Creek and the Allegheny River, Fort Machault was one of four forts built by the French to control the Venango Path between Lake Erie and the Ohio River. Fort Machault was the last stop on the supply route from Canada to Fort Duquesne. The former frontier outpost is located in what is now Franklin, Pennsylvania. Prior to the arrival of the French in 1753, Pennsylvania Blacksmith and Native American trader John Fraser had established a trading operation on this site, supplying Native tribes throughout the region with European trade goods, as well as repairing guns and other metal objects. Fraser's business was an example of the western expansion of Pennsylvania's fur trade that prompted the French to fortify the Ohio Country, for fear of losing trade and influence among the powerful tribes of the region.

2. Fort Venango

This fort was built in Franklin, Pennsylvania by the British in 1750 to control the Allegheny River, a vital trading route. The post was only manned for three years, the garrison being eradicated by Native Americans during Pontiac’s uprising of 1763. The attack was in response to Britain’s aggressive military presence in the areas they’d claimed after the French and Indian war, territories that had traditionally belonged to the Native Americans – along with other injustices. Though it met a violent end, the fort itself was sturdy enough to last through the American Revolution, after which another fort would be built nearby its remains.

3. Fort Franklin

One of the four forts built within the borders of Franklin, Pennsylvania, this post-revolutionary American fort was plagued with problems since the site was chosen in 1787. Its importance as a link in the chain of forts stretching across Pennsylvania was constantly undermined by its poor placement and upkeep, and in 1803 the fort was abandoned altogether, despite its strategic control over both the Allegheny River (a major trade route) and French Creek. This Fort was named in honor of Benjamin Franklin, though it is doubtful he ever visited. Nevertheless, this is the only one of the forts to be survived by a town bearing its name (Franklin, Pennsylvania).

This Tour is a Virtual Museum or Site Tour.

Old Garrison

Created by Grace St Clair on July 9th 2020, 8:51:12 pm.

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Description

The Old Garrison was the last fort erected within the city of Franklin’s domain. Built in 1796, this fort was unostentatious, being described as a “strong log house”. While commanding perhaps the best view of the nearby Allegheny River and French Creek out of all the forts made to overlook the waterways, the times of war and uprisings were past. American troops were removed from the Old Garrison in 1799, but the people of Venango County used the structure as a jail from 1805-1819. The construction of a new jail meant the Old Garrison was allowed to dilapidate, and now the site is underwater.

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Old Garrison

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