Battle of Piqua  - August 8, 1780 - Memorial located on Hosterman Lake

George Rogers Clark Historic Park

A 248 acre park & historic site of the largest Revolutionary War Battle Site west of Alleghenies. The park includes: picnicking, hiking, fishing, without a license (Hosterman Lake), and non-motorized boating. Accessible fishing is available at the Accessible Observation Deck on Hosterman Lake.

The Daniel Hertzler Home, located in the historic George Rogers Clark Park, was built in 1854-1855. Daniel Hertzler was born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. As a Mennonite, he believed in hard work and displayed an entrepreneurial spirit. It was these characteristics that led him to Clark County, where he established the first private bank and a sawmill at the mouth of Buck Creek. Hertzler designed his home with a similar practicality.

With a simple but elegant beauty, the Hertzler Home was an unusual building for its time in many ways. The general practice of this era was to have a separate facility for cooking, due to the risk of fire. But Mr. Hertzler had his kitchen attached to the living quarters of the home. He also constructed an attached "spring-house," which brought running water for indoor use. With a Bank style influence, the home has several other interesting features including eight porches, and many large windows that allow fresh air and sunlight to saturate every room. The home is full of antique treasures including a weaving loom, period furniture and clothing, many of which actually belonged to the Hertzler family.

Mr. Hertzler died in 1867, and upon his death, his estate was valued at over $300,000. Mrs. Hertzler continued to live in the home until her death in 1872, surviving all but three of the couple’s ten children. Today, the Hertzler House Advisory Committee operates the home as a museum and offers tours by appointment. While touring the home, visitors can enjoy the beautiful views, lake, and picnic areas on the grounds of George Rogers Clark Park.  For more information on tours of the historic Hertzler House Museum, call 937-882-6000.

The Siege  of the Old Indian Town of Piqua, August 8, 1780

"The old Indian town of Piqua was situated about five miles west of the present site of the city of Springfield, Ohio, on the north bank of Mad River. In going there from the city named, you pass down the Mad River until you reach a point where the stream runs in a westerly direction out into a large basin or prairie, which gives some evidence of having at one time been the bottom of a small lake. At the time the Indians occupied the place, the prairie was about three miles long and one mile wide. It is now fenced off into farms under the highest state of cultivation. At the upper end of this beautiful open landscape, the river gracefully bends round and silently flows to the south; then again toward the west, continuing in the latter direction until it reaches the lower end of the prairie, where it sweeps round to the northwest, and is soon lost to sight in the forest below.  At the time referred to, on the south side of the river was another prairie, bordered by the low hills in the distance. Over this prairie ran the road from the old Indian town of Chillicothe, about twelve miles south of Piqua, and reached the river on the south bank, nearly opposite the latter town.  About two-thirds of the distance down the prairie, on the north side of the river, and further progress was obstructed by what might be called a willow swamp, stretching across the prairie from the southwest to the northeast, stop ping about one or two hundred yards short of a limestone cliff, rising out of the north border of the basin or prairie.  Behind the willow swamp was located the town of Piqua, and behind the town was a round-topped hill, rising up _100 feet from the level of the plain. From the crown of this hill the country might be overlooked for as much as five miles up and down the river. The general appearance of the locality, in its almost primitive wildness, must have been of unsurpassed loveliness.