At the beginning of the War of 1812, General Hull's army arrived in this area and, two days later, continued on after leaving 13 men to complete a fort on the south bank of the Blanchard River. The fort was named for their commanding officer, Colonel James Findlay, who marched on with Hull and never saw it completed. It had four two-story blockhouses for artillery, several small cabins for housing, stockade walls of upright logs, and a ditch running the length of the front. The fort saw only small skirmishes and was used mostly as a supply depot. One unidentified soldier's diary described his time there as a sort of vacation, full of fishing and hunting. The fort was garrisoned until 1815, when it was abandoned.