Washington Monument One-Fifth Size

Fort Recovery, Ohio

This towering obelisk, 101 feet, four inches high, may hold the record as the tallest tombstone in America, for beneath it lie the remains of those killed in the 1791 Battle of the Wabash (also known as St. Clair's Defeat), and the 1794 Battle of Fort Recovery. Around its base are 32 medallions, each inscribed with the name of an officer killed in one of the battles. Over 900 whites, and far fewer Indians, died in the two lopsided bloodbaths.

A century passed before the citizens of Ohio decided that these massacres needed to be memorialized. The bones of the dead were dug up, placed in two vaults, and then the 800-ton monument was built on top of them. It was dedicated on July 1, 1913. Fort Recovery still places over 900 crosses around the monument every Memorial Day, and in 2020 work was underway to light the obelisk at night with LEDs.