Colonel John Francis Hamtramck / Colonel John Francis Hamtramck

John Francis Hamtramck was a native of Canada who dedicated his life to the new American nation. Born in 1756, Hamtramck fought in the American Revolution. He distinguished himself during and after the war fighting both Indian and British forces. In 1787 he was made commander of Post Vincennes in the Illinois Territory. There Major Hamtramck was instrumental in negotiating a peace treaty with area Indians. In 1793 Hamtramck was named lieutenant colonel in the forces led by General Anthony Wayne. The next year Hamtramck was cited for bravery in Wayne’s decisive victory at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. In 1796 Hamtramck, a newly appointed colonel, was further honored when he was given command of the fort at Detroit, which had previously been in British hands. Except for two years, he remained there until his death in 1803. In 1798 one of the four townships in Wayne County was named for this military hero.