Blue Grass/Oak Savanna, Controled burn over the winter. All of the open areas were control burned this winter. This is the way they looked as of march 7th.
They burn during the cold months and early spring so they don't interrupt or expose nesting or hiding animals to danger.
This area has a long history, and back in the days of the war of 1812 the burns were not controlled. In fact this area was part of a much larger area known as the Great Black Swamp. It stretched from just west of Cleveland, south into most of the counties that make up northwest Ohio, and west to what is today the area around Delta Ohio and as far north as Ann Arbor and all along the southern coast of lake Erie. it was an impassable morass wood a swamp land.
It only had one road thru it and it was only usable during the winter months when the ground was frozen. ( winters back then were much more brutal than today and presented a whole different set of problems ) During the summer months the place was rife with snakes, malaria carrying mosquitos , and conditions which make travel thru it almost impossible
During the war of 1812 it was decided that the infant United States had to make a more decisive presence in the state of Michigan ( controlled by the British with their strong point of Detroit. ) General William Henry Harrison was dispatched from Kentucky and made it into Ohio were he had to winter over. Directly in his path lay the Great Black Swamp with it's one road leading north. His movement north got completely bogged down in the swamp and the first assault was postponed. Most of the supply wagons, heavy artillery, and mounted troops literally got stuck in the mud. The assault did take place but at a later date with success.
During the middle and late 1800s the swamp was drained and turned into farmland. Today there are plans to restore as much of it as possible because it is necessary for the health of lake Erie.
Blue Grass/Oak Savanna, Controled burn over the winter. All of the open areas were control burned this winter. This is the way they looked as of march 7th.
They burn during the cold months and early spring so they don't interrupt or expose nesting or hiding animals to danger.
This area has a long history, and back in the days of the war of 1812 the burns were not controlled. In fact this area was part of a much larger area known as the Great Black Swamp. It stretched from just west of Cleveland, south into most of the counties that make up northwest Ohio, and west to what is today the area around Delta Ohio and as far north as Ann Arbor and all along the southern coast of lake Erie. it was an impassable morass wood a swamp land.
It only had one road thru it and it was only usable during the winter months when the ground was frozen. ( winters back then were much more brutal than today and presented a whole different set of problems ) During the summer months the place was rife with snakes, malaria carrying mosquitos , and conditions which make travel thru it almost impossible
During the war of 1812 it was decided that the infant United States had to make a more decisive presence in the state of Michigan ( controlled by the British with their strong point of Detroit. ) General William Henry Harrison was dispatched from Kentucky and made it into Ohio were he had to winter over. Directly in his path lay the Great Black Swamp with it's one road leading north. His movement north got completely bogged down in the swamp and the first assault was postponed. Most of the supply wagons, heavy artillery, and mounted troops literally got stuck in the mud. The assault did take place but at a later date with success.
During the middle and late 1800s the swamp was drained and turned into farmland. Today there are plans to restore as much of it as possible because it is necessary for the health of lake Erie.