Wayne National Forest, Ohio’s only national forest, is named after General Anthony Wayne who commanded troops during the Revolutionary War.
Now, however, the U.S. Forest Service has taken a second look at Wayne’s military service after the Revolutionary War. In light of that review, it’s expected that the forest will soon have a new name.
In fact, spurred by requests from American Indian Tribes and local community members, the Forest Service is now proposing changing the forest’s name to “Buckeye National Forest.”
“The national forest is currently named after General Anthony Wayne, whose complicated legacy includes leading a violent campaign against the Indigenous peoples of Ohio that resulted in their removal from their homelands,” the Forest Service continues. “The current forest name is offensive because of this history of violence.”
Other names for the forest have also been proposed. They are the “Ohio National Forest” and “Koteewi National Forest.”
“Our intention is to listen to Tribal Nations and community members, and take the actions needed to better serve them,” Forest Supervisor Lee Stewart said. “The new name embraces the forest’s identity as Ohio’s only national forest and the welcoming, inclusive nature of the people of Ohio.”
Stewart adds that while Tribal Nations have asked for a name change for decades, their request was formalized last year, according to the Associated Press.
Logan York, a representative of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, said in a statement that Anthony Wayne’s actions “ultimately led to the forced removal at gunpoint of our Miami ancestors from our homelands in 1846,” the Associated Press continues.
“Wayne may be a Revolutionary War hero to some, but he is also the main villain in our story of resistance, trying to keep our homes and maintain our lives,” said York. “For a national forest to bear the name of Anthony Wayne is a harmful and painful reminder and devalues us as Native peoples of Ohio.”
Roughly 40 Native American tribes have ancestral ties to what is now Wayne National Forest.
A Complicated Legacy
General Wayne, who later in his life was also a U.S. Representative, commanded troops at the Battles of Brandywine, Germantown, Monmouth, and Stony Point, according to The American Battlefield Trust. After his retirement, the Washington Administration called Wayne back into service to command troops during the Northwest Indian War.
A victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers in 1791 over confederated Native Americans who had allied with the British led to a truce and the signing of the Treaty of Greenville. In that treaty, Native Americans ceded all rights to the territory that came to be Ohio, as well as large parts of Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan, The American Battlefield Trust continues.
Know So You Can Go
Wayne National Forest can be thought of as a “patchwork of public land” that covers more than a quarter million acres of Appalachian foothills in southeastern Ohio.
One of the forest’s key attractions is that it is home to more than 400 miles of trails for hiking, off-highway-vehicle riding, mountain biking, or horseback riding. Visitors also travel to the national forest to camp, hike, hunt, and fish.
Wayne National Forest is approximately 130 miles from Cincinnati, 110 miles from Columbus, 140 miles from Dayton, and 118 miles from Pittsburgh.
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