Fort Venango

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Fort Venango (1760-1763) - A British French & Indian War fortification established in 1760 in present day Franklin, Venango County, Pennsylvania. Destroyed by hostile Seneca Indians in 1763.

Fort Venango Roadside Marker
Fort Venango Site Marker Text
Fort Venango Site Marker Locale

French & Indian War (1754-1763)

Fort Venango was built in 1760 by British troops under Lieutenant Francis Gordon in present day Franklin, Venango County, Pennsylvania. The fort replaced the abandoned and destroyed French Fort Machault.

All was quiet at Fort Venango until Pontiac's War in 1763. Hostile Seneca Indians attacked the post in June 1763 and killed the entire garrison. Lieutenant Gordon was tortured to death by being roasted on a spit over the burning embers of the fort.

In 1753-54, the French sought to gain control of the Ohio River Valley by building forts along a route from Lake Erie to the forks of the Ohio. The forts were strategically placed along the water route from Lake Erie to the Ohio River beginning at Fort Presque Isle and the some 12 miles of overland portage to Fort le Boeuf. The route then goes down French Creek to Fort Machault where French Creek meets the Allegheny River and from there to Fort Duquesne (1) at the head of the Ohio River. When the French started this line of forts the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, Robert Dinwiddie, sent 21 year old George Washington all the way to Fort le Boeuf to demand the French leave. The French declined and the stage was set for the French & Indian War. The French completed the four forts and held the territory until the advance of British General John Forbes in November 1758 caused the French to abandon and destroy Fort Duquesne (1) and fall back along the line of remaining forts. In July 1759 the three remaining forts were destroyed and the French left.

The British took over the abandoned and destroyed Fort Duquesne (1) and began building Mercer's Fort and Fort Pitt (1) over the ruins. The departure of the French forces in July 1759 allowed the British to occupy the three remaining French fort sites in 1760 and rebuild the destroyed fortifications. The British occupied all four of the fort sites until Pontiac's War in 1763. The hostile Indians manage to take and destroy all three of the upper forts in 1763 and they laid siege to Fort Pitt (1) but were unable to take it.


Upper Ohio Valley Forts (1753-1814) (edit list)
Name Location Established Abandoned Nationality Notes
Fort Presque Isle (1) Erie, PA 1753 1759 French
Fort Presque Isle (1) Erie, PA 1760 1763 British
Fort Presque Isle (2) Erie, PA 1795 1814 American
Fort le Boeuf Waterford, PA 1753 1759 French
Fort le Boeuf Waterford, PA 1760 1763 British
Fort le Boeuf Waterford, PA 1794 1814 American
Fort Machault Franklin, PA 1755 1759 French
Fort Venango Franklin, PA 1760 1763 British
Fort Franklin (2) Franklin, PA 1787 1794 American
Old Garrison Franklin, PA 1796 1799 American
Fort Duquesne (1) Pittsburgh, PA 1754 1758 French
Mercer's Fort Pittsburgh, PA 1758 1761 British
Fort Pitt (1) Pittsburgh, PA 1761 1772 British
Fort Pitt (1) Pittsburgh, PA 1772 1792 American

Current Status

Roadside marker and site marker in Franklin, Venango County, Pennsylvania

Location: Franklin, Venango County, Pennsylvania. Fort map point is the location of the site marker.

Maps & Images

Lat: 41.388982 Long: -79.822237

  • Multi Maps from ACME
  • Maps from Bing
  • Maps from Google
  • Elevation: 990'

Sources:

Links:

Visited: 15 Aug 2012


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