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The Toledo War: The First Michigan-Ohio Rivalry

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It was a war in which no humans were killed. It supposedly involved principle, prestige and honor. Some have argued that in the end both sides received land that neither had a right to possess. This conflict was between the state of Ohio and the then territory of Michigan. And it's probably accurate to say that most current residents of Ohio and Michigan are unaware that a nasty argument over a 468 square mile strip of land around Toledo had Buckeyes and Wolverines in a fighting mood during the early 1830s. It is known to history as the "Toledo War".

The conflict over the strip had been festering for some time before it came to a head in 1835 when Michigan desired to become a state. But Ohio (which had become a state in 1803) said "no way, Michigan". Ohioans wanted no statehood for their neighbors to the north until a boundary dispute between the two was settled. . . in Ohio's favor.

A few specifics. If the language of the Northwest Ordinance (of 1787) had been strictly followed, the strip belonged to Michigan. That is what President Andrew Jackson's Attorney General ruled. But Ohio had claimed (at the time and shortly after it achieved statehood)that its northern boundary should be north of the disputed strip, and therefore Toledo, and its lucrative future economic possibilities belonged to the Buckeye state.

In the end, as it often does, political might ruled. Ohio (and Indiana and Illinois, which had also benefitted) had voting Senators, Congressmen, and electoral votes. Michigan, as a territory, had none of these. The compromise solution: Ohio to receive the 468 square mile Toledo strip and Michigan gets 9,000 square miles of land in the western upper peninsula - - land that was detached from Wisconsin territory! So, in the words of one writer (described in the book as an Ohio historian): "Both parties acquired lands...that neither had any legal right to....If there was one loser in all this, it was Wisconsin...." (p. 182)

The little known and at times humorous subject is revived in this 2008 book by Don Faber. The book skips around quite a bit and is not always easy to follow. The Toledo War awaits its historian, but in the meantime this account may be the best we have on a topic that doesn't get discussed much except perhaps in Ohio history and Michigan history textbooks and courses.

I especially like the epilogue where the author discusses Michigan's "lost peninsula". Bet you didn't know about that!
Tim Koerner July 2009

This is a very interesting and well-researched work. Much discussed in the Toledo and Michigan area, but largely ignored as an academic subject, this topic was long overdue for the excellent treatment this qualified author gives it. An interesting read that includes much about the context of the times in which the event occurs.

This is a well written account of a fascinating piece of American history. The book is definitely worth a read. My only criticism is that the author tends to wander in an almost stream-of-conscious manner throughout the book. This is most especially noticeable during the last few chapters of the book where the writer jumps back to the middle of the war after already addressing the war's end and Michigan's admission into statehood. Don't let that stop you from enjoying an otherwise fine book.