[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 72 (Friday, April 28, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E381-E382]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             CELEBRATING THE BICENTENNIAL OF DEFIANCE, OHIO

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, April 28, 2023

  Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a historic milestone in 
Defiance, Ohio in our District. Today, citizens are gathering to 
celebrate the Bicentennial Anniversary of the City of Defiance. Events 
throughout the day will focus on ``Remembering our history, Honoring 
our present, and Envisioning our future.''
  On April 28, 2023, after being surveyed by Captain James Riley, the 
plat for the Village of Defiance was recorded in Wood County, Ohio by 
Horatio G. Phillips. He purchased thirty acres of land in the Village 
of Defiance at the confluence of the Auglaize and Maumee Rivers, 
gateway to the Great Lakes. Thus, Defiance was born and is the County 
Seat of Defiance County.
  The history notes that ``Benjamin Leavell would join with Phillips to 
market the property. It was divided into 150 lots. Their 1823 newspaper 
ad stated the streets are wide, with alleys for the convenience of the 
lots, which are of handsome size. It also stated the proprietors have 
laid off lots for religious societies, schools, and a courthouse. The 
location of the 1794 Fort Defiance was set aside as a public park.''
  Residents named the community after Fort Defiance, once a western-
most outpost in the Ohio country in early America. Constructed by 
General Anthony Wayne before 1794's Battle of Fallen Timbers, Fort 
Defiance was also an important defense in Ohio from invasion by British 
soldiers during the War of 1812.
  Growth continued following ``speculation of the construction of the 
Miami & Erie and Wabash & Erie Canals and their route as they connected 
to Lake Erie. Ultimately the canals would join together 10\1/2\ miles 
southwest of Defiance at a location named Junction. The canals used the 
same channel through Defiance. The Wabash & Erie connecting Fort Wayne, 
Indiana and west to Toledo, Ohio, was completed in 1843 and the Miami & 
Eire canal, connecting Cincinnati to Toledo, was completed in 1845.'' 
The canals' completion fueled much of the growth in western Ohio lands, 
including Defiance.

[[Page E382]]

  It is reported that the legendary Johnny Appleseed owned a nursery on 
the north bank of the Maumee river with Defiance as his primary 
headquarters during the early 19th century. Steeped in its history and 
that of Northwest Ohio, Defiance honors its past through monuments, 
markers and sculptures of those on whose shoulders the community stands 
while at the same time emboldened by the spirit of those long-ago 
ancestors.
  Defiance weathered the ups and downs of American life through the 
centuries and remains a vibrant community today. A focus on education 
brings with it Defiance College and an excellent public library. 
Businesses flourish on Main Street and throughout the city. Defiance 
surely lives up to its motto as ``A great place to live'' through its 
intergenerational, enterprising spirit and sacrifices of citizens who 
have built the patriotic, enduring character of Defiance.
  All over Northwest Ohio we join with the residents of this community, 
remembering 200 years of history while looking forward to a bright 
future. We pay tribute to the pioneers who founded the city, honor the 
citizens who built it up in the ensuing years, and pledge our efforts 
toward a flourishing future.

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