Rich in Native American and early pioneer lore, Tuscarawas is the birthplace of the first pioneer settlement in the Ohio County (1772-1777), and home to the only Revolutionary War fort in the state, erected in 1778 near Bolivar. Coal mines, a significant source of employment for residents of the county, dotted the countryside, and the Ohio Erie Canal, which ran the entire length of the county, provided transportation for area goods and people. Unfortunately, major flooding in 1913 caused intensive damage to low-lying settlements, but more recently, archaeological expeditions have sketched an image of early life in these communities, and have even uncovered a Revolutionary War burial site.