Volunteers needed for historic graves project

SANDUSKY — About 7,000 veterans of the Revolutionary War are buried in Ohio, including in Erie, Ottawa, Sandusky and Huron counties. Ohio officials want to locate as many of those graves as possible, and are asking for Ohio history buffs to aid in that effort. America 250 Ohio, the state commission charged with helping Ohio celebrate our country's 250th birthday next year, is spearheading the effort to create a database that will give the location of as many graves as possible. Ohio wasn't one of the original 13 colonies when the Revolutionary War (1775-1783) was fought, but many veterans of the war settled in Ohio after being given land to reward their service. "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 crystallize this connection and enhance our understanding of just how important Ohio was to the establishment of the United States." So far, about 6,800 graves have been identified by groups such as the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), getting the project off to a good start. The America 250 Ohio commission wants to create a public map and archive that can be accessed by anyone, including GPS information, photos and historical records. People who want to help are invited to visit ohiohistory.org/revwargraves. "The beauty of this approach is that it empowers anyone who owns a smartphone to contribute meaningful data to the project," said Joseph Snider, archaeological geophysicist at Terracon Consultants Inc., the engineering firm helping the state commission. A map at ohiohistory.org/revwargraves shows that in Erie County alone, there are 13 cemeteries where it's known that Revolutionary War veterans are buried, and the America 250 Ohio commission says that may be a partial list. The 13 are: • Oakland Cemetery in Perkins Township • Venice-Oak Lawn-Oak Hill-Todd Hill-Todd Hole cemetery in Margaretta Township • Castalia Cemetery • Milan Cemetery • Scotts Cemetery in Milan Township • Huron City Cemetery in Huron • McMillen/McMillan Cemetery in Huron • Oak Bluff-Cranberry Creek-Meeker-Ruggles Beach Cemetery in Berlin Township • Peake/Peakes Cemetery in Berlin Township • West End Cemetery in Berlin Township • Cable Cemetery in Florence Township • Maple Grove-Washborn Cemetery in Vermilion • Harrison Road Cemetery in Florence Township Efforts have been made to call attention to some of the local graves associated with the Revolutionary War. For example, on May 17, a new historical marker was dedicated at Wolcott Family Cemetery in Danbury Township in Ottawa County to honor the Revolutionary War veterans buried there.