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- Chapter 1: Maumee River Traverses a Trackless Wilderness
Chapter 1: Maumee River Traverses a Trackless Wilderness
The Maumee River begins at the confluence of the St. Joseph and St. Mary’s Rivers in Fort Wayne and flows northeast to Toledo and Lake Erie. The three rivers were formed when water finally receded from the melting of glaciers in northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio.
The land that remained across northeast Indiana, aside from some marshes, was covered with a dense growth of hardwood forests and a lavish variety of tree species. (No other area furnished more valuable timber—oak, walnut, beech, maple, ash, elm, sycamore, poplar, hickory, locust, cherry and others.)
The Maumee River was the principal means of travel for Native Americans and early pioneers. Aside from well-worn trails along the river, the alternative to river travel was to force one’s way through the vast, trackless wilderness of the forests.
For many years the Maumee was the principal route of transportation and commerce in the area with canoes and pirogues common forms of boats. Up to the mid-1830s, it was common to see pirogues and flatboats go by laden with various articles of merchandise—whiskey, flour, furs—on their way to Fort Wayne or Detroit where merchandise would be exchanged for such items as dry goods, shoes and hardware. As people came to settle, their families and goods arrived via the river.
Dependence on the Maumee River for travel and transport ended with the opening of the Wabash and Erie Canal in 1843. But the river’s influence on the area remained. It was felt, tragically, in the flood of 1913—to this day, the most destructive flood to engulf the area. The river crested in New Haven at 26.1 feet, more than 11 feet above flood stage. The devastation throughout the region was tremendous. Since the epic flood, the stewards of the area’s rivers have learned to respectfully manage them given the potential devastation of their unforgivingly high waters. [Photo: Looking east from the railroad tracks at Rose Avenue; St. John’s Church steeple at far right]
OF NOTE
Save Maumee is a New Haven-based non-profit, volunteer organization whose purpose is to preserve, protect, and improve the ecosystems of the Upper Maumee River and watershed. Its focus is on increasing public awareness through advocacy, collaboration, education and hands-on projects. Their appeal to the public is… “Help us speak for your rivers, for your rivers have no voice.” Learn more at savemaumee.org.