Johnston Farm & Indian Agency

Johnston Farm & Indian Agency Open Thurs thru Sun 11 - 5 for the summer, and to school children & private parties April/May & Sept/Oct. Canal boat 12:30 & 2:30 during summer months.
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The Johnston Farm and Indian Agency was once the center of activities in the small settlement community of Piqua, Ohio. The site intertwines with Ohio's rich history, having been under five flags. Starting with the establishment of the Pickawillany Village, George Rogers Clark, Anthony Wayne, William Henry Harrison, and culminating with the Civil War ....Camp Piqua in 1862.

Two programs for the price of one - FREE! Our rescheduled EVENING IN THE GARDEN is Wednesday Sept. 09th at 6:00. Pleas...
09/06/2026

Two programs for the price of one - FREE!

Our rescheduled EVENING IN THE GARDEN is Wednesday Sept. 09th at 6:00. Please register if you plan to attend so we know how many guests to plan for.

Please register at: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/september-evening-in-the-garden

AND!

FARM ANIMALS: MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE!

Wednesday, September 9 at 7:00 p.m.
Johnston Farm & Indian Agency

Have you ever wondered how much work a mule can safely do? How do you know whether a farm animal is at a healthy weight? And just what IS a mule, anyway?

Join us for an evening devoted to the animals of the Johnston Farm and learn more about the care and management of working and farm animals.

We’ll talk about body weight, size and condition, how an animal’s build and physical condition affect the work it can safely perform, and how appropriate workloads are determined. We’ll also discuss the differences between horses, donkeys and mules—and why mules became such valuable working animals.

Along the way, we’ll introduce you to some of the animals who call the Johnston Farm home and talk about their individual needs, personalities and jobs at the site.

It’s an opportunity to look beyond the barnyard and learn what goes into keeping farm animals healthy, comfortable and ready to do the work they were bred to do.

Come with questions! We’ll be happy to answer them.

Please register at: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/more-than-just-a-pretty-face-understanding-farm-animals

Continuing the series on John Johnston's fort. The Blockhouse and the Reality of WarThe blockhouse inside the stockade...
09/05/2026

Continuing the series on John Johnston's fort.

The Blockhouse and the Reality of War

The blockhouse inside the stockade served as a secure storage point for government goods and supplies. Later family recollections describe children discovering a saddle filled with Indian scalps stored in the blockhouse garret, believed to have been taken by soldiers after the Battle of the River Raisin. Recorded many years later, the account reflects the brutal realities of frontier warfare and the charged atmosphere surrounding the post. Johnston’s wife reportedly feared retaliation should such items become known to visiting Native delegations.

Independent sources reinforce the presence of blockhouses at Upper Piqua. An 1879 obituary notes members of the DeFrees family seeking safety at the “Block House at Upper Piqua,” indicating that these defensive structures were well remembered within the community.

To be continued....

Image of blockhouse is AI generated and generic based on historic info and similar period fort structures.

Continuing the series on John Johnston's fort. 1. A Government Post and Place of RefugeThe Upper Piqua stockade functio...
09/04/2026

Continuing the series on John Johnston's fort.

1. A Government Post and Place of Refuge

The Upper Piqua stockade functioned as an important administrative center during the war. As Indian Agent, Johnston received and distributed annuities and trade goods for multiple tribes, drawing large gatherings of Native people to the site at regular intervals. It also served as a place of refuge.

Following the killing of Johnson’s brother Stephen at Fort Wayne in August 1812, Stephen’s widow Eliza and infant daughter were sent to Upper Piqua for safety. While living within the stockade, Eliza gave birth to her son Stephen on September 29, 1812—direct evidence that the enclosure sheltered extended family during the height of danger.

Other households lived there as well. Reminiscences by Laura Taylor Suttenfield record that she and her husband, William Suttenfield—then in Johnston’s employ—resided with Col. Johnston inside the stockade for approximately two years. These accounts confirm that the enclosure sheltered multiple families, not just the Johnstons alone.

To be continued....

Sat Sep 26th & Sun Sep 27th Under the Spinner’s Moon, 11:00-5:00 & 11:00-4:00 Learn how fiber was worked to be turned in...
09/04/2026

Sat Sep 26th & Sun Sep 27th Under the Spinner’s Moon, 11:00-5:00 & 11:00-4:00 Learn how fiber was worked to be turned into fabrics, knits, and more in times gone by.

Cost: $10 public, members FREE.

For more information call 937.773.2522 or email [email protected]

Today we begin a series on what John Johnston called his 'fort' at Upper Piqua. Note: Since no imagery exists, accompa...
09/03/2026

Today we begin a series on what John Johnston called his 'fort' at Upper Piqua.

Note: Since no imagery exists, accompanying images throughout this series are of various structures, people, and other that are AI generated based on known information, newspaper accounts, reminiscenses and stockade/fort structures of the time period.

During the War of 1812, Upper Piqua stood at the edge of a volatile frontier. Federal authority, Native nations, military forces, and civilian settlers converged in this region at a time of fear, uncertainty, and rapid change. It was under these conditions that John Johnston, former Indian Agent at Fort Wayne, established a fortified station at Upper Piqua. In a letter dated September
3, 1812, Johnston wrote plainly:

“I am building a Fort at my house.”

This fortification—referred to in various sources as a fort, stockade, or palisade—was not a formal military installation, but a combined domestic, administrative, and defensive enclosure, built in direct response to wartime danger and Johnston’s federal responsibilities.

The Stockade: Design and Purpose
Contemporary descriptions and later family reminiscences describe a palisaded enclosure constructed of heavy logs set upright in the ground and fastened together, forming a defensive wall approximately ten feet high. While no formal plan survives, several sources suggest the enclosure covered several acres, often cited as roughly ten.

Within the stockade were:
1. Johnston’s early log residence
2. The rising brick house
3. A blockhouse for storage and defense
4. A natural spring, ensuring a reliable water supply
5. Space for families, workers, and government stores

The presence of the spring within the enclosure was essential. In a frontier fortification, water access meant survival.

Note: According to sources at Fort Meigs in Ohio, a 10 acre stockade can support between 2000 and 3000 people if needed.

To be continued....

And our farewell post to the 2026 Miami Count Fair! Thanks again to RIchard Smith for the photos in these three posts! ...
09/02/2026

And our farewell post to the 2026 Miami Count Fair! Thanks again to RIchard Smith for the photos in these three posts!

FARM ANIMALS: MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE! FREE program! 🫏🐂🐑🐐Wednesday, September 9 at 7:00 p.m.Johnston Farm & Indian...
09/02/2026

FARM ANIMALS: MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE! FREE program! 🫏🐂🐑🐐

Wednesday, September 9 at 7:00 p.m.
Johnston Farm & Indian Agency

👉Please register so we know who is coming

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/more-than-just-a-pretty-face-understanding-farm-animals

Have you ever wondered how much work a mule can safely do? How do you know whether a farm animal is at a healthy weight? And just what IS a mule, anyway?

Join us for an evening devoted to the animals of the Johnston Farm and learn more about the care and management of working and farm animals.

We’ll talk about body weight, size and condition, how an animal’s build and physical condition affect the work it can safely perform, and how appropriate workloads are determined. We’ll also discuss the differences between horses, donkeys and mules—and why mules became such valuable working animals.

Along the way, we’ll introduce you to some of the animals who call the Johnston Farm home and talk about their individual needs, personalities and jobs at the site.

It’s an opportunity to look beyond the barnyard and learn what goes into keeping farm animals healthy, comfortable and ready to do the work they were bred to do.

Come with questions! We’ll be happy to answer them.

Address

9845 N Hardin Road
Piqua, OH
45356

Opening Hours

Thursday 11am - 5pm
Friday 11am - 5pm
Saturday 11am - 5pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm

Telephone

+19377732522

Website

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