Help sought in gathering info about Revolutionary War veterans and gravesites

A dedication ceremony was held Saturday, May 27, 2023 for the renovated Springfield Burying Ground in downtown Springfield. The Burying Ground, opened in 1801, recently underwent a $1.2 million renovation. Several Revolutionary War veterans are buried in cemetery along with the founding fathers of Springfield. New grave markers have been added along with historic plaques and a statue of Springfield founder James Demint. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

A dedication ceremony was held Saturday, May 27, 2023 for the renovated Springfield Burying Ground in downtown Springfield. The Burying Ground, opened in 1801, recently underwent a $1.2 million renovation. Several Revolutionary War veterans are buried in cemetery along with the founding fathers of Springfield. New grave markers have been added along with historic plaques and a statue of Springfield founder James Demint. BILL LACKEY/STAFF

There is a new statewide effort to crowdsource information about Revolutionary War veteran graves.

America 250-Ohio is asking people to help provide locations and identities for what is believed to be 7,000 who were laid to rest across the state of Ohio. The information will be collected for a publicly accessible database capturing stories and history of the nation’s first veterans.

America 250-Ohio is the official state commission responsible for spearheading the state’s celebrations and commemorations relating to America’s semiquincentennial in 2026.

“With an estimated 7,000 such graves believed to exist statewide, the commission invites the public to help identify, photograph and record the sites in a publicly accessible database,” said an America 250-Ohio news release.

Led by the Ohio History Connection and its State Historic Preservation Office with support from its partner firm Terracon Consultants, Inc., the project uses a new online portal and the mobile app Survey123. Historians, genealogists, local historical societies, students, scouting groups and descendants are all encouraged to contribute, the news release states.

“We suspect that few Ohioans are aware of how many Revolutionary War veterans settled in the state after the war ended,” said Todd Kleismit, executive director of America 250-Ohio. “Creating this database will help crystalize this connection and enhance our understanding of just how important Ohio was to the establishment of the United States.”

To date, the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) have gathered information to help identify roughly 6,800 veterans buried in Ohio, according to America250-Ohio.

The main goal is to establish a robust public record by July 2026, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Visit ohiohistory.org/revwargraves for more details.

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