Fort de la Presqu'ile - Guarding the Portage - Erie, PA - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

This sign is located at Dobbins Landing, also known as the Public Dock, at the foot of State Street, in Erie, Pennsylvania. The sign describes the history of the French in the area during the mid-1700s, the time of the French and Indian War, and the fort that they built at what is now Erie, Fort de la Presqu'ile. The sign includes a map of the region, an illustration of the fort, a timeline of Fort de la Presqu'ile, and two additional illustrations showing how large items were portaged. The sign is along the Great Lakes Seaway Trail and was placed by Seaway Trail, Inc.

The text on the sign includes the following main portions:

A French Frontier Fort
Fort de la Presqu'ile was the first in a proposed line of forts that would guard a route to the Mississippi. The lofty goal for 1753 was to build four forts, Presqu'ile, le Boeuf, Machault, and Duquesne. By late summer it was clear that only Presqu'ile, le Boeuf, and the portage between them would be completed.

The Marin Expedition
The French Embarked on a campaign, led by Paul Marin de la Malgue, to establish a line of forts in strategic locations, aimed at controlling the waterways which led from Lake Erie, by way of a portage to French Creek, into the Allegheny River, the Ohio River, and ultimately to the Mississippi. This fort building became a real provocation to the British.

Bird's Eye View Looking North (accompanying the illustration of the fort)
The fort consisted of a square stockade with bastions, built of logs laid horizontally and stacked to a height of 12', unlike the usual palisade of vertical logs.

Group that erected the marker: Seaway Trail, Inc. URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: [Web Link] Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: State Street Erie, PA USA 16501

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Date Logged Log   07/27/2022 Simplenfun visited it 01/01/2022 petendot visited it

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