Who Was Anthony And Why Was He So Mad?

General Anthony Wayne isn't a widely recognized figure in most of the United States but in northwest Ohio and northeast Indiana his name is commonly known and his mark can be found all across the region.

From Wayne County in Michigan, home of Detroit, to Fort Wayne, Indiana, many counties and towns in this area are named after the Revolutionary War general who later became famous in the Northwest Indian War.

General Wayne was given the nickname "Mad Anthony Wayne" after he led the Continental forces to an important victory at the battle of Stony Point where his ferocity and boldness became legendary.

After the Revolutionary War, General Wayne retired and went into politics for a short time before being recalled to service by President George Washington to turn things around in the ongoing fighting in the Northwest Territory, a region that encompasses much of what is now known as the Great Lakes region of Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.

General Wayne's leadership proved pivotal in the Northwest Indian War, culminating in a decisive victory in the Battle of Fallen Timbers in what is now Maumee, Ohio. The U.S. forces under Wayne defeated the combined forces of several Indian tribes, including the Shawnee and Miami led by Blue Jacket and Little Turtle. Tecumseh, who would become one of the most famous Indian leaders in American history, was also at the battle.

Mad Anthony Wayne is not just an interesting historical figure. The owner of Mad Anthony Arms grew up just a few miles from the Fallen Timbers battlefield near the Maumee River. He went to Fallen Timbers middle school and later to Anthony Wayne High School, along with all of his siblings including a sister who still teaches at Anthony Wayne. The Anthony Wayne sports teams are the Generals and their logo is a drawing of Mad Anthony Wayne.

The high school's marching band are the famous Anthony Wayne Marching Generals and their band uniforms are designed to look like 18th century U.S. military outfits. Apparently they are incredibly hot when marching in the sun.

The store itself is located near Fort Wayne, Indiana and very close to U.S. 24, known as the "Anthony Wayne Trail" in Toledo.

So General "Mad" Anthony Wayne is a pretty significant historical figure and it seemed only appropriate to name a new gun store in the heart of the section of America where he became famous after this man.

Now you know!