"Don't Give Up The Ship." Apparently this is what Master Commandant Oliver Hazard Perry exclaimed during the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813. Why did he say this, you may ask? Well, he and his fleet were fighting over Lake Erie with the British. A water down version, I know. However, Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial, located on South Bass Island, known to everyone other than those who live in the area as Put-in-Bay, Ohio, took the back seat when it came to commemorating the bicentennial of the Battle of Lake Erie in September 2013. Why you may ask? Well, for once, Port Clinton and the surrounding area did something that brought in so much press and visitors than anything else with a historic purpose...TALL SHIPS! Strange, yes, I know. But, it was amazing to see all of the press and interest associated with bringing in these ships to the area over Labor Day Weekend, 2013. The purpose was, as a way to commemorate the battle, to have re-enactments of the battle for control of Lake Erie. Perhaps what is most interesting is how the story of Perry's success in the conflict overshadows other historic narratives of the area-for instance the legacy of Johnson's Island Confederate Prisoner of War Depot. Regardless of that fact, the events of 2013 show how a heritage foundation was able to include the public in the telling of history. It was pretty neat to see.
Sources:
http://battleoflakeerie-bicentennial.com/news/media-coverage/
http://www.nps.gov/pevi/index.htm
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