Putnam, Rufus (1738-1824), an American general in the American Revolution (1775-1783), became known as the founder and father of Ohio. Putnam and others organized the Ohio Company in 1786 to colonize the territory located northwest of the Ohio River. Putnam was in charge of the first colony of settlers, and, in 1788, he established the first permanent white settlement at Marietta, Ohio.
Putnam was born on April 9, 1738, in Sutton, Massachusetts. He served three years as a soldier in the French and Indian War (1754-1763). In 1761, he settled in North Brookfield, Massachusetts, and worked as a millwright and surveyor. Putnam became a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army when the American Revolution began. He planned and built the fortifications around Boston so well that, in 1776, he was appointed chief engineer of the army, with the rank of colonel. Putnam served in many engagements, and he became a brigadier general in 1783. In March 1790, Putnam was appointed a judge of the Northwest Territory. In 1796, he became surveyor general of the United States. Putnam died on May 4, 1824.
