FORT VENANGO - Erected October 10, 1972 (revised the 1947 marker) The marker is located at 8th and Elk Streets in Franklin.
To assert control over the area, Fort Venango was built near this point by the British in 1760. The fort was attacked and destroyed by Indians in 1763 during Pontiac's uprising.
"On Aug. 9, 1760, Major Robert Stewart arrived to erect Franklin's second fort, Fort Venango, nearer the mouth of French Creek. It was one of the forts in a chain for which Fort Pitt was the general headquarters. The great Indian chieftain Pontiac saw that settlers and land speculators continued to push westward and feared the eventual destruction of the Indian way of life. In 1763 all the western Indian tribes joined together in the Indian War known as Pontiac's Conspiracy and attacked all the posts west of Lake Erie simultaneously. Nothing remained of Fort Venango but piles of smoldering embers. The British Army never returned." Text from "Walking Tours of Historic Franklin, Franklin Rotary Club", 1990.
For many years afterwards the ruins of Fort Venango plainly indicated its destruction by fire. A description of the ruins of Fort Venango and the diagram included on this page were furnished to the editors of " History of Venango County", 1879 edition, by M. W. Sage, Esq. of Franklin, whose residence stood on the site that once was the old fort's ruins. Portions of the description Mr. Sage wrote are as follows: "� The government through its engineer took no pains to preserve the fort, but on the contrary located Elk Street through the center of it, and Eighth Street was laid out so as to include the embankment on the north side. � The north embankment was taken away in the year 1839, by the Allegheny Bridge Co., to make filling for the approach at the west end of the bridge, at the mouth of Eighth Street. � When I purchased out Lot No 14 in the fall of 1847� I erected a dwelling house on the lot and moved into it in the spring of 1848, in which I have continued to reside ever since, now over thirty years. � My personal recollections of the form of the north side of the fort are not clear; the other three sides I am certain were quite similar to the figure I have here drawn for your use. � On the outside of the ditch, and within the embankment was about equal to the width of the ditch - 24 feet. The central square was evidently occupied by a building from 50 to 60 feet square, as indicated by foundation stone, some of which I removed in 1848. �Under the building was a cellar or magazine of about 25 feet square, as indicated by the size of the pit, which was to be seen, as well as portions of the stone wall of the cellar, as late as 1850. �"
Donated by Penny Haylett Minnick pictures Penny Haylett Minnick
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FORT VENANGO - Erected October 10, 1972 (revised the 1947 marker) The marker is located at 8th and Elk Streets in Franklin. 
For many years afterwards the ruins of Fort Venango plainly indicated its destruction by fire. A description of the ruins of Fort Venango and the diagram included on this page were furnished to the editors of " History of Venango County", 1879 edition, by M. W. Sage, Esq. of Franklin, whose residence stood on the site that once was the old fort's ruins. Portions of the description Mr. Sage wrote are as follows: "� The government through its engineer took no pains to preserve the fort, but on the contrary located Elk Street through the center of it, and Eighth Street was laid out so as to include the embankment on the north side. � The north embankment was taken away in the year 1839, by the Allegheny Bridge Co., to make filling for the approach at the west end of the bridge, at the mouth of Eighth Street. � When I purchased out Lot No 14 in the fall of 1847� I erected a dwelling house on the lot and moved into it in the spring of 1848, in which I have continued to reside ever since, now over thirty years. � My personal recollections of the form of the north side of the fort are not clear; the other three sides I am certain were quite similar to the figure I have here drawn for your use. � On the outside of the ditch, and within the embankment was about equal to the width of the ditch - 24 feet. The central square was evidently occupied by a building from 50 to 60 feet square, as indicated by foundation stone, some of which I removed in 1848. �Under the building was a cellar or magazine of about 25 feet square, as indicated by the size of the pit, which was to be seen, as well as portions of the stone wall of the cellar, as late as 1850. �"
Penny Haylett Minnick