History

Greenville first established its pivotal location in America's heartland in 1793, when General Anthony Wayne chose the site as his base to establish control over the Great Northwest Territory. It was here that Wayne's army constructed its headquarters, Fort Greene Ville, naming it after Wayne's war co-patriot General Nathanael Greene.

Covering 50 acres, Fort Greene Ville was the largest log blockhouse fort constructed in the territory northwest of the Ohio River. Within the walls of this fort, Wayne negotiated the famous Treaty of Greene Ville, whereby the proud Native Americans, formerly allied with British, acknowledged "themselves to be under the protection of the United States, and no other Power whatever."

The signing of the Treaty on August 3, 1795, opened up the Northwest Territory for further settlement. The states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, and part of Minnesota were forged for this territory.

Settlement of the area which was to become the City of Greenville began in the 1820's. By 1845, brick and frame homes with Victorian influences were being built in the area, many of which still stand today, carefully restored to their former elegance.

You will find early history reflected throughout Greenville in such monuments as the Altar of Peace, commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Greene Ville; Tecumseh Point, marking the site which served as the base of operations for the Shawnee Chief Tecumseh; and the Annie Oakley Memorial Park, honoring the famous marksman native to the Greenville area.

A visit to the Garst Museum provides a closer look into Annie Oakley's life, as well as the lives of other famous Greenville natives including Zachary Lansdowne, the famous naval commander of the USS Shenandoah, and Lowell Thomas, world renowned radio personality, author, and traveler.