McComb 4th graders visit Fort Meigs via grant

PERRYSBURG — McComb Elementary School's fourth grade students and their teachers had the opportunity to learn more about the War of 1812 during a recent field trip to Fort Meigs in Perrysburg. They were able to take the trip thanks to a grant from the American Battlefield Trust's History Field Trip Grant Program. This is the third year McComb has received the grant. The trip provided the 45 students with a hands-on history learning opportunity, including a tour of the reconstructed wooden walled fort. Kathy Mills, who is one of the fourth grade teachers at McComb, said the guides were reenactors that portrayed life in the 1800s during the War of 1812. Students were able to tour a block house, view the tents the men and the officers would have used, and heard different fife calls for various military commands. They also saw a replica of the flag that would have flown over Fort Meigs during the war and a model of the entire fort during construction while learning about many of the events that took place during the war. At one point, the group heard journal entries from soldiers who had been stationed at Fort Meigs. Mills said the students were surprised that the fort had been constructed during the winter months. They also learned that Fort Meigs was built to overlook the Maumee River to keep the Redcoats from crossing and taking more territory from the United States. In the block house, one student noted that the structure had thick walls — thicker than the length of their arms. There were holes in the walls, just large enough for a cannon or a musket to shoot through, and the walls of the block houses were painted white to try and make them as light as possible. The American Battlefield Trust is the largest battlefield land preservation organization in the country, having saved more than 60,000 acres of hallowed ground across 25 states. Through visiting preserved battlefields and walking in the footsteps of the citizen soldiers who fought there, the Trust aims to provide a foundation of good citizenship for the leaders of tomorrow. It also strives to produce excellent educational resources in a variety of formats for both educators and the public alike, ensuring that Americans never forget how their country was forged. Every year, the Trust receives applications from classrooms across the country to participate in the program, which offers funding and assistance to K-12 teachers planning field trips to Civil War, War of 1812 or Revolutionary War battlefields and related historic sites. During the 2024-25 school year, more than 12,000 students from 35 states took part.