Bonjour! New riverfront trail marker unveiled for Marquis de Lafayette Trail

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - The Lafayette Trail tracks the journey of famous French aristocrat Marquis de Lafayette.

Lafayette was asked by President James Monroe to do a tour of the United States on the country’s 50th anniversary. This was important because Lafayette was close to George Washington and the founding fathers.

According to a press release from the City of Cincinnati, Lafayette was “particularly thrilled to visit Cincinnati on May 19, 1825” and was “amazed at the beauty of this young city, but, more importantly, overjoyed Cincinnati was a free city confirming his life-long fight against slavery.”

“The story of Lafayette’s tour lasted thirteen months,” said Julien P. Icher, president of the Lafayette Trail, Inc. “He was [in the United States] and visited every state [at the time of Lafayette’s tour] and the purpose of our trail is to mark the significant spots along the journey of Lafayette by donating historic markers.”

During the unveiling of the trail marker at Yeatman’s Cove next to the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Eric Vespierre, board member of the Alliance Française de Cincinnati, said, “Though Cincinnati is known as being a German town, the connection to France and to the French community have always been strong.”

Icher added that this new marker is the first marker in the state of Ohio and is number 111 of 120 markers.

“The goal is to highlight the long standing connection between our two nations. we have shared values. Lafayette is the epitome of it. he was one of these French people that responded to the call of American freedom,” Icher said of the significance of this trail marker.

For more details on the Lafayette Trail, you can visit the organization’s website here.

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