St. Michael's Catholic Church (www.nflregion.org) is a 125-year-old building made of brick with sandstone accents. Construction on the church began in 1879 with the laying of the cornerstone, and the building was consecrated in 1881. The building is characterized by its 200-foot-tall tower. The original four bells still hang in the tower today and their ringing announces each Mass. The church contains 22 stained glass windows, one main wooden altar and two side altars.
Fort Loramie is home to one of the Erie Canal Mile Markers (no website; Intersection of West Main Street and Water Street, Fort Loramie, Ohio). These stone markers were placed every mile along the banks of the Miami-Erie Canal as a means for the canal boats to gauge their speed. In 1971, the Fort Loramie Historical Society added a descriptive plaque above the stone. The marker remains on the right-of-way of the Old Miami and Erie Canal, which connected the Ohio River in Cincinnati to Lake Erie in Toledo.
Built on the site that once supported Pierre Loramie's Indian Trading Post, the Wilderness Trail Museum (www.fortloramiehistory.com) offers visitors a taste of the Fort Loramie of the past. The museum, originally a boardinghouse in 1853, houses artifacts from the history of the area, including a military room, a millinery room, and a doll room. Other exhibits include rooms decorated to resemble a typical dining room, parlor and bedroom from the 1800s. The museum is overseen by the Fort Loramie Historical Association. Admission to the museum is free.
Visit the Lake Loramie State Park (no website; 4401 Ft. Loramie Swanders Road,
Minster, Ohio; 937-295-2011) while you're in town to enjoy some of the area's nature and wildlife. The park is located on the banks of Lake Laramie, which was built in 1844 to provide water for the Miami-Erie Canal. Swimming, boating and fishing are permitted in the lake during the summer months, and ice skating is allowed in the winter. There are multiple trails for hiking and biking, camp sites available for renting, and areas for hunting when it's in season.
