Fort de la Presqu'ile - 1749-1759 - Erie, PA - Timelines 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 timeline, on the left-hand portion of the sign, describes key events in the history of the French in what is now western Pennsylvania, including the French and Indian War. An image of a musket with bayonet is used to illustrate the timeline. Some key events listed include Celoron's expedition in 1749, the completion of Forts Presqu'ile and le Boeuf in August 1753, the fall of Fort Duquesne (in what is now Pittsburgh) to the British in 1758, and the abandoning of the forts by the French in 1759.

Additional text on the sign includes the following main parts:

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.

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