COLUMBUS, OH — Time is running out for Ohioans to help cement the legacy of the nation’s first soldiers. America 250-Ohio has announced that May 25, 2026, will be the final day for the public to submit data to the state’s first-ever comprehensive Revolutionary War Veterans’ Graves database.
The portal will officially lock at the end of the day on Memorial Day, allowing historians to verify all entries before the grand public release on July 4, 2026—the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Locating Ohio’s “First Veterans”
Though Ohio was not one of the original 13 colonies, it became a final home for an estimated 7,000 Revolutionary War veterans. After the war, the cash-strapped U.S. government paid many soldiers with land grants in the “Northwest Territory,” drawing thousands of veterans to the region to build the foundations of the Buckeye State.
“These are the very first veterans of the United States of America,” said Krista Horrocks, a historian with the Ohio History Connection. “Gravestones won’t survive forever, but if we can record their location and story today, that information will be here for generations to come.”
A Massive Volunteer Effort
Since the project’s launch on Memorial Day 2025, the response has been historic:
- 4,000+ Graves Documented: Volunteers have used smartphones to log GPS coordinates and photos.
- 1,300+ Cemeteries Catalogued: Data has been collected across dozens of Ohio counties.
- 350 Volunteers: A dedicated group of “citizen historians” has fueled the collection.
The very first entry in the database was a local landmark: the grave of Nathaniel Massie, a Virginia Militia private who later founded the city of Chillicothe. His final resting place in Grandview Cemetery overlooks the very city he established.
How You Can Help Before May 25
You don’t need to be a history professor to participate—just a smartphone and a willingness to explore.
- Visit: ohiohistory.org/revwargraves to see which cemeteries still need documentation.
- Download: The free Survey123 app.
- Explore: Visit a local cemetery, photograph a Revolutionary War marker, and log the GPS coordinates.
- Submit: All data must be entered by May 25, 2026, to be included in the July 4th launch.
