Blanchard River | |
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The Blanchard River in Findlay
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Basin features | |
Main source | ~ 5 mi (8.0 km) northwest of Kenton |
River mouth |
Auglaize River near Dupont 686 ft (209 m) |
Basin size | 771 sq mi (2,000 km2) |
Physical characteristics | |
Length | 103 mi (166 km) |
The Blanchard River is a 103-mile-long (166 km) tributary of the Auglaize River in northwestern Ohio in the United States. It drains a primarily rural farming area in the watershed of Lake Erie.
It rises in central Hardin County, on the northern outskirts of Kenton. It flows generally north for its first 25 miles (40 km) into eastern Hancock County, where it turns sharply to the west. It flows west through Findlay and past Ottawa. It joins the Auglaize from the east in western Putnam County approximately 2 miles (3 km) north of Cloverdale at 41°02′29″N 84°17′57″W / 41.041483°N 84.299245°W.
The river is named for Jean Jacques Blanchard, a French tailor who settled among the Shawnee along the river in 1769.Fort Findlay, an American outpost in the War of 1812, was constructed along the river in 1812 at the site of the present-day city of Findlay.
In 1908, Tell Taylor wrote Down by the Old Mill Stream, a popular song of the early 20th Century and a barbershop favorite, while sitting on the banks of the Blanchard River.