In 1835 a road opened from Maumee to the Indiana State line, running through this area. Swanton emerged here, near the Ottawa village, as a frontier town with several shops and hotels for pioneers heading west. To the east, a tollbooth and junction from Toledo known as the Chicago Pike opened. With the arrival of the railroad, 'Old Swanton' was outstripped and moved to its present location. The Swanton Township Hall was originally a schoolhouse, built in 1909 and served as such until 1938.
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Here in the Oak Openings Region of northwest Ohio, some of the last Ottawa villages in Ohio lined the banks of Swan Creek during the 1830s. These Native Americans were led by Chief Ottokee, a descendant of Pontiac, & half brother to another Ottawa Chief named Wauseon. Known for being honest & friendly. Ottokee was the last Ottawa chief in the Maumee Valley, for years refusing to go when the last of his people were removed to lands west of the Mississippi River.
Tags: lucas county swanton ohio historic markers lucas county indiana historic markers lucas county ohio historic markers lucas county swanton ohio & oak opening lucas county swanton ohio & Oak Opening Region Lucas county swanton ohio & Ottawa Villages lucas county swanton ohio & chief ottokee lucas county ohio & chief ottokee lucas county maumee valley & the Ottawas Native people lucas county swanton ohio Ohio's Last Ottawas historic marker
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Ai Creek shows signs of very low level of water. The stream is in Lucas County.
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Pioneers trudging through a dense swamp called this area “Oak Openings.” The natural habitats in the park range from oak savanna to wetlands to vegetated dunes. The Nature Conservancy once named the sandy region one of the 200 “Last Great Places on Earth.”
Prickly-pear cactus, wild lupine and sand cherry bloom atop dry, hot sand dunes just yards away from orchids growing in low, wet swales. There are more than 50 miles of trails in Oak Openings Preserve. Stands of isolated pine and spruce planted by the WPA during the Great Depression are still visible.
Oak Openings is a birder's paradise. It is the nesting place of bluebirds, indigo buntings, whippoorwills, Lark sparrows and many other species, as well as an excellent location to see migrating songbirds in the spring.
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