Before the Revolution: France, Forts, and the Fight for the Ohio River

Long before Ohio became a state and Cincinnati stood proudly on the banks of the Ohio River, this land was under the sway of France.

In 1749, at the behest of King Louis XV, French commander Pierre-Joseph Céloron de Blainville set off from Montreal with 250 men, tasked with securing France’s claim over the Ohio River Valley. Their mission was clear: assert French sovereignty over the land and block British colonial expansion in this strategically vital region.

Céloron’s expedition was both a symbolic and military maneuver. As he journeyed through the valley, he buried six lead plates at the mouths of major rivers, staking French ownership of the land. One of these plates was placed just west of what is now Cincinnati, where the Great Miami River joins the Ohio River, a site known to the French as La Belle Rivière.

The French weren’t looking to settle permanently but rather to solidify their alliances with Native American nations and protect the valuable fur trade. French forts, like Fort Duquesne, were erected to prevent British expansion. However, tensions between the two European powers continued to escalate, eventually leading to the outbreak of the French and Indian War.

By 1760, the British had captured Montreal, effectively ending France’s presence in the region. The Treaty of Paris in 1763 formalized this loss, ceding all lands east of the Mississippi River to Britain. Despite this, the legacy of French influence endures in the region’s place names, history, and in the ongoing connections between Cincinnati and Nancy, France.

As we reflect on this fascinating chapter of our past, we’re reminded of how global ambitions once shaped the course of local history—an important piece of our shared heritage that still binds us to our French roots today.