[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]
Date: 2023-04-28
Chamber: EXTENSIONS
Ms. KAPTUR: 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.  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.