You’ve heard of the battle of Gettysburg. And of Normandy, and Yorktown, and New Orleans.
but one of the key military battles in American history took place in our area. But few are aware of it.
Efforts are underway to change that, and make some money off it.
Most people can’t tell you anything about the Battle of Frenchtown. But it was the deadliest combat of the War of 1812 and the greatest defeat the U-S suffered in that war. It’s also known to some as the River Raisin Massacre, for the actions of native American tribes who fought alongside the British and Canadian soldiers against a poorly trained U-S militia near what is now the city of Monroe. the militia was mostly volunteers from Kentucky.
About 400 Kentuckians were killed, and about 100 Indians, Brits, and Canadians.
Today a 100-million-dollar redevelopment is being launched to turn the River Raisin National Battlefield into an historical and cultural destination. Historic Frenchtown would be re-created, and an educational center would be built, similar to Gettysburg, with the hopes of making Frenchtown a tourist town.