A Roughrider tradition, The SummerFest 5k will take participants through the beautiful town of St. Mary’s Ohio along the historic canal towpath. The towpath was historically used, as the name indicates, to tow barges along the canal. The path is now recognized as one on of Ohio’s most significant historic trails.
Because of the traffic, the renegades Simon and James Girty set up a trading post in what is now St. Marys, and the community came to be known as Girtystown, the name by which it continued to be known until 1823, when St. Marys was legally established. In 1794, Gen. Wayne built a fort and drove away James Girty, who was considered an evil man involved with Indian raids. The first white settler, Charles Murray, moved in then. Later a second fort called Fort Barbee was ordered built by Gen. Harrison and was reputed to be the most important military post in Ohio.…
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