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American RevolutionEarly Republic

Wayne County / "Mad Anthony" Wayne

Monticello, Wayne County, Kentucky

Marker Inscription

County Named, 1800. For "Mad Anthony" Wayne, born in Penn., 1745. Officer in Revolution, given gold medal by Congress for capturing Stony Point, N. J., 1779. In command, U.S. forces at Fallen Timbers, 1794, and negotiated Treaty of Greenville, 1795, which ended Indian wars in Old Northwest and raids into Ky. Penn. Legis., 1784-1785. Moved to Georgia and elected Congressman, 1791-1792. Died, 1796.

Erected by Kentucky Historical Society

The Story

Wayne County, established in 1800, honors General "Mad Anthony" Wayne, the fiery Revolutionary War hero who stormed Stony Point in 1779. His deepest mark on the future West came in 1794, when his victory at Fallen Timbers and the resulting Treaty of Greenville in 1795 broke Native resistance in the Old Northwest and opened the frontier—including Kentucky—to a surge of settlement. Wayne died in 1796, soon after his triumph.

Why it matters

Wayne's campaigns cleared the way for American expansion across the Ohio Valley, a decisive and costly turning point for the region's Native nations.

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Related people

  • · Anthony Wayne

Related events

  • · Battle of Stony Point
  • · Battle of Fallen Timbers
  • · Treaty of Greenville

Themes & tags

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