Fort Machault
Fort Machault is a historic site in Pennsylvania, at a modelled elevation of 301 m. Pine Hill stands 515 m to the east, 15 miles off. The nearest named place is Fort Venango, a historic site less than a tenth of a mile away. Lake Wilhelm Scenic Byway passes 14 miles off. 23 named summits stand within 25 miles.
The story
Fort Machault (, French: [maʃol]) was a fort built by the French in 1754 near the confluence of French Creek with the Allegheny River, in northwest Pennsylvania. (Present-day Franklin developed here later.) The fort helped the French control these waterways, part of what was known as the Venango Path from Lake Erie to the Ohio River. It was one of four forts designed to protect French access to the Ohio Country and connections between its northern and southern colonies. From north to south the forts were Fort Presque Isle (at Lake Erie), Fort Le Boeuf (at the south end of the portage leading to the head of French Creek), Fort Machault (at the confluence noted), and Fort Duquesne. In January 1759 the British launched an expedition to attack Fort Machault, but had to turn back after encountering resistance from French-Allied Native Americans. The fort was abandoned by the French in August 1759, and burned so that the British could not use it. It was replaced by the British in 1760 with Fort Venango.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Wikidata Q768492, matched on coordinates and name (372 m apart).
What the record says
- Material
- metal
- Inscription
- Built by the French in 1756 to guard the route to the Ohio, it was evacuated and burned by them after the siege and fall of Fort Niagara in 1759. Site of fort is one block south.
How to reach it
- 13.6 mi off the Lake Wilhelm Scenic Byway
Named places within 25 miles
- Samuel Justus Recreational Trail Visitor Center: 0.3 mi
- Historic Franklin Garrison Monument: 0.3 mi
- 11th Street Park: 0.4 mi
- Bandstand Park: 0.6 mi
- 3rd Steet Park: 0.7 mi
- Fort Venango: 0.0 mi
- Vandergrift: 6.6 mi
- Cornplanter's Gift: 6.6 mi
- Edith C Justus Park: 6.6 mi
- Cornplanter: 6.6 mi
- Point Hill: 0.8 mi
- Foster Hill: 8.3 mi
- Hoag Hill: 8.5 mi
- Summit Hill: 10.1 mi
- Pine Hill: 10.7 mi
- DeBence Antique Music World: 0.7 mi
- Clifford's Rug Gallery & Studio: 6.4 mi
- Venango County Museum: 6.7 mi
- Drake Well Museum: 17.5 mi
- American Rabbit Breeders Association: 19.9 mi
- Venango Campus Statue: 5.1 mi
- Chief Cornplanter: 6.6 mi
- Graffiti Gallery: 6.7 mi
- Signs & Flowers: 24.0 mi
- Cannon: 24.1 mi
- State Game Lands Number 47: 11.6 mi
- McKeever Center at Clear Creek State Forest: 14.5 mi
- Maurice K. Goddard State Park: 16.2 mi
- State Game Lands Number 200: 23.1 mi
- State Game Lands Number 330: 24.3 mi
- Potters Falls: 8.1 mi
- Freedom Falls: 11.3 mi
- Gregg Falls: 13.2 mi
- Petroleum Center: 11.4 mi
- Pithole: 15.6 mi
- Venango County Rest Area Westbound: 14.4 mi
- Venango County Rest Area Eastbound: 14.7 mi
- Oil Seeps: 12.5 mi
- Sinks Filled with Dirt: 14.6 mi
- Stoneboro Beach: 15.1 mi
- Big Rocks: 18.8 mi
Summits around it
The highest named summits within 25 miles of Fort Machault. Elevation from each summit’s own record; bearing measured between the two coordinates.
| Summit | Bearing | Elevation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pine Hill | E 99° | 515 m | 15.0 mi |
| Wheeling Hill | NW 320° | 504 m | 11.0 mi |
| Cream Hill | E 96° | 502 m | 12.2 mi |
| Butcherknife Hill | NE 50° | 497 m | 25.0 mi |
| Preacher Hill | ENE 57° | 493 m | 24.5 mi |
| Round Knob | NW 315° | 491 m | 15.5 mi |
| Annisville Hill | S 176° | 485 m | 20.9 mi |
| Foster Hill | NE 34° | 484 m | 8.3 mi |
When to go
Light through the year
| Date | Sunrise | Golden hour | Sunset |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | 07:24 | 18:55 | 19:32 |
| June solstice | 05:47 | 20:15 | 20:57 |
| September equinox | 07:07 | 18:42 | 19:18 |
| December solstice | 07:43 | 16:09 | 16:54 |
Local time (America/New_York).
Climate normals
Months averaging 50–80 °F: May–Oct.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °F | 26 | 28 | 36 | 47 | 59 | 67 | 71 | 70 | 63 | 51 | 40 | 31 |
| Precip in | 3.3 | 2.7 | 3.4 | 4.1 | 4.0 | 4.9 | 5.3 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.4 |
1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA NCEI — Franklin, under a mile away.
Where this comes from
Location and category confirmed against OpenStreetMap.
OpenStreetMapOpenStreetMap element node/11808536837
Day trips start here
- Oil City · 7 mi
- Titusville · 18 mi
Take the scenic way to Fort Machault.
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