Happy 2026! This is the Semiquincentennial - 250th birthday - of our magnificent country - the United States of America.
If you watched the Ken Burns six part series about the American Revolution presented on PBS stations in November of 2025 then you most likely have gained a greater grasp of just how long that war lasted. It was actually referred to as the first Civil War because some colonists favored staying with the Crown (England) while others desired to break from it and fought so the 13 colonies could become 13 states - the United States of America.
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So here we are 250 years later honoring those stalwart souls who fought the long hard fight so America could ultimately become the country we are now comprised of 50 states.
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At that time, Ohio became part of the Northwest Territory as did other states around it. Some Revolutionary War veterans ultimately settled in Ohio with many putting down long time roots in its borders and ultimately passing away and buried in burial grounds both large and small.
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The Ohio History Connection offers several programs that reflect this 250 year celebration and one of them is to visit and document the gravesites of American Revolutionary War veterans buried in Ohio. It has been estimated that there are around 7,000 of these early American patriots buried in the Buckeye State. Currently, there are 3,076 documented burials provided in this ongoing program. The program has been extended into this coming Spring (exact date has not been provided) when further examination of these burial records will be conducted and corrections can be made if needed.
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Thus, my New Year's wish is for more cemetery preservation to be undertaken in all of the various ways it can be done. I feel by doing so, we'll achieve the lofty goal of documenting every American Revolutionary War veteran buried in Ohio so none will be lost to time.
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