Over the past year, Public Researchers have traveled across Ohio. Walking cemeteries, exploring back roads, and documenting the gravesites of Revolutionary War veterans. In that time, more than 570 volunteers helped record over 4,300 gravesites and 1,400 cemeteries, capturing over 8,000 photographs in the process.

This past Memorial Day marked the close of formal gravesite and cemetery data collection for the Revolutionary War Veteran Graves Project.

Today, we’re excited to share the results of that work with the launch of several new ways to explore the completed dataset.

A revamped version of the Live Results Dashboard you know and love, now featuring updated data.

We've also included some exciting new features:

• More accurate results with an improved county filtering system.
• Duplicate grave marker records are hidden from view.
• Grave marker photographs can now be explored within individual veteran records.
• Aerial imagery appears when zoomed to the cemetery-level.
• Cemeteries display at the county scale, creating a clearer and less cluttered statewide view.

These improvements make it easier than ever to explore Ohio’s Revolutionary War veteran burial sites at any scale.

The StoryMap brings the project together in one place, sharing its origins, highlighting notable veterans, and exploring what the data reveals about Ohio’s early settlement and Revolutionary War legacy.

The new Gallery Wall showcases the more than 8,000 photographs collected during the project and offers a visually rich way to explore the project’s growing photographic archive, allowing users to browse and reflect on thousands of grave markers preserved through this effort.

Project Future

While formal data collection has concluded, the work is far from over.

The Ohio History Connection and Ohio's State Historic Preservation Office remain committed to stewarding the project data and supporting ongoing public contributions.

Interested in continuing the work? The Interactive Live Results Dashboard and Survey123 application remain open, and new submissions from Public Researchers at any level of experience or expertise are always welcome.

Every additional record helps expand our understanding and ensures that more stories of service and sacrifice are preserved.

Our bird taxidermy specimens are on the move! As part of Ohio History Connection’s Campus 2.OH initiative, we’re relocating our history and natural history collections to our new Collections Care Center. To date, we’ve packed, moved and unpacked 442 birds; that’s a lot of feathers! Now, our most fragile specimens are stored in a stable environment with state-of-the-art museum cabinets. Many of the larger birds mounted in flying poses will be hung from wall racks (see above) originally designed for artwork.

The Eskimo Curlew, a member of the sandpiper family, is now listed as “likely extinct”. It used to be one of the most common shorebirds in the arctic regions of Alaska and western Canada. It migrated through the eastern United States on its annual journey to South America. But the last definitive documentation of this species was in1963. I had the sobering task of moving this mount from the general collection to the special cabinet that houses other extinct birds including the Passenger Pigeon, Carolina Parakeet, and Ivory-billed Woodpecker.

The Woodcock, an odd but endearing bird, is also a member of the sandpiper family. It lives in woodlands and uses its long beak to poke around in soft ground looking for invertebrates. The position of its eyes far back on the head allows the Woodcock a 360-degree view of its environment.

You may have seen this crow-sized Cooper’s Hawk in your own backyard. Cooper’s Hawks have adapted well to cities and are now found more often in urban areas than in their natural forest habitat, due to the abundant food source. They love backyard birdfeeders… or rather, the small, tasty birds that visit them!

Was that flash of red a Northern Cardinal? Probably, but during summer months in Ohio be on the lookout for the Scarlet Tanager. The breeding males are bright red, but their black wings distinguish them from cardinals. They like to hang out in the canopy of hardwood forests.

The most common owl in Ohio is the Eastern Screech Owl, which is found in every county in the state. Eastern Screech Owls come in two main color phases, gray or red; the latter is seen in this photo. A small owl, it feeds on everything from invertebrates to other birds.

You may overlook the Common Grackle, a regular visitor to bird feeders in the spring and summer. But a close look reveals the beautiful iridescent feathers - showing glimmers of purple, bronze, and green, and their stunning yellow eyes!

The taxidermy birds in our natural history collection are nestled into their new state-of-the-art storage patiently waiting for their turn to be used in an exhibit, educational program, or research project!

Have an interest in birds? You’ll love the free app “Merlin Bird ID” developed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. It helps you identify birds by their sound or appearance. I especially like the sound feature because it shows you what species are nearby including those that might be too far or hidden to see.

Dave Dyer, Natural History Curator

By Marlise Schoeny, History Curator

With thousands of objects in collections, curators are constantly learning more about the artifacts in the museum’s holdings. An artifact could grab your attention for any number of reasons. It may be bright and colorful, uniquely shaped, large and striking or, perhaps, it prompts you to ask, “Who was the first best cow?” 

“Awarded by Ohio State Board of Agriculture. N.P. Townshend. To Geo M. Coulter for 2nd Best Cow “Duchess. Prest – 1859.” 

This electroplated silver pitcher was made by the Meriden Britannia Company in Meriden, Connecticut as an award for the 1859 Ohio State Fair. It bears the inscription above, spread across two sides of the pitcher. One can’t help but wonder two things, if this was the prize for second best cow, what was the prize for first and who was the first best cow? Thus began a dive into the history of the 1859 State Fair.  

The 1859 Ohio State Fair was held in Zanesville, Ohio. The fair travelled throughout the state as transportation around Ohio could be difficult for exhibitors. Generally, most exhibitors lived near the fairgrounds. The railroads did offer special rates for exhibitors, their exhibits and fair attendees to support the fair. The first Ohio State Fair was held in Camp Washington (just east of Cincinnati, Ohio) in 1850, so the 1859 fair marked the fair’s ninth meeting and its first and only occurrence in Zanesville.  

During the early years of the fair, winners received medals, not ribbons, as awards for winning their various categories, and in some cases, silver serving ware. The Ohio History Connection has one other silver cup in addition to the pitcher featured here that was awarded in the early decades of the fair.  

Details of the 1859 state fair can be found in the minutes of the State Board of Agriculture. A report detailing the participants, winners and attendance can be found in the annual meeting minutes. In 1859, it is recorded that George M. Coulter of Reesville, Ohio, brought three Shorthorns to the Fair. His older brother, John Jr., brought one Shorthorn bull and his brother, Alfred, also brought one Shorthorn bull.

The Coulter cattle farm was started by George’s father, John Coulter, who emigrated from Ireland in 1805, eventually settling in Clinton County. Coulter focused on raising Shorthorn cattle, a breed popular with early American settlers as they could be raised for meat and milk and could be used as a draught animal. The farm was incredibly successful with a recorded real estate value in the 1850 census of over $13,000. This figure would jump to $54,000 by 1860. In 2026, this figure roughly translates to $500,000 to $2,000,000 when adjusted for inflation. While John Jr., Alfred and George would all eventually run their own cattle farms, in 1859 they were working together on the original family farm following the passing of John Coulter Sr. in 1857.  

Now the moment you’ve been waiting for, who was first best cow? As reported in the minutes, “The class of two-year-olds was small, but beautiful. We awarded first premium to Lady Bonberry, owned by Wm. Lang, and the second to Duchess Second, owned by George M. Coulter.” Despite Duchess carrying a higher rank of nobility, she came second to Lady Bonberry at the 1859 state fair. Her efforts were well rewarded, however, as she received this beautiful pitcher and $15.  It is unknown what Lady Bonberry received besides $30 for winning first premium, as only the cash awards are listed in the Board of Agriculture minutes. There is only one other similar piece in the collection. A silver mug engraved with the words, "Ohio State / Board of Agriculture / Premium." It was awarded when the fair was held in Cleveland, Ohio, which means it dates from 1852 or 1856. No category for the winner is listed on the mug and the Board of Agriculture minutes list a $10 silver cup as the award for "Best Floral Exhibition by An Horticultural Society," but no winner is provided. In addition, a silver cup of $5 value is listed for "Best Steam Engine," but a winner is not listed. While we may never know what electroplated silver serving piece Lady Bonberry took home, we can comfortably assume it was somehow bigger or more impressive than this pitcher. For those of you who have become invested in Duchess and George Coulter's success, don't worry. His two-year old bull, Challenge, won first premium in his category. 

Interested in learning more about Shorthorn cattle? They are raised in Ohio to this day! Check out the American Shorthorn Association to learn more about the breed and its history, or read more about the state of the breed in Ohio now at the website for the Ohio Shorthorn Breeders Association.

Our Archives & Library has many amazing resources for you to learn more about past Ohio State Fairs. Be sure to visit the Archives Wednesday through Friday for a research appointment to see these documents.

Did you ever win first premium? Are you curious to see if your artifacts could be a part of the Ohio History Connection's collection? Check out our donations page to learn more!

Paul Laurence Dunbar, one of America's greatest poets, spent almost his entire life in Ohio. He published hundreds of poems, as well as novels, short stories and song lyrics. He’s considered one of the most important figures in African American and American history, in the company of Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington and his Dayton neighbors, Orville and Wilbur Wright. The turn-of-the-20th-century house exhibits Dunbar's literary treasures, many of his personal items and his family's furnishings. A project completed in 2003 returned the Dunbar house to its appearance at the time when Paul and his mother, Matilda, lived there. Paul lived in the house from 1904 until he died in 1906; his mother lived there from 1904 until she died in 1934. An on-site visitor center features panels telling the story of Paul's life and times.

Address: The Paul Laurence Dunbar Visitor’s Center is located at 219 North Paul Laurence Dunbar Street in Dayton. You’ll want to start your visit here. The actual Dunbar House is right next door, but you’ll need to have a staff member with you for a tour.

How much time: I would plan about 60–90 minutes at the Dunbar House. At the Visitor’s Center, you’ll be able to watch an 18-minute movie about Dunbar’s life and times and check out the exhibits. Talk to one of the staff members at the front desk to arrange for a tour of the actual Dunbar House.

My favorites: I loved the tour of the Dunbar house. The home is set up to look like it did when Paul and his mother Matilda were living there. Climbing the narrow steps to the second floor, seeing Paul’s room and his desk, and learning that Paul had a little room at the back of the property that he would escape to when there were too many people in the house really brought his story to life.

Truda's Tips: The Dunbar House doesn’t have its own parking lot, but there’s plenty of street parking around the site.

The Dunbar House is managed locally by the National Park Service. It’s part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. You can learn more about all the sites that are part of the park by visiting their website.

The Ohio History Connection strives to meet ADA requirements for handicapped accessibility. However, historic structures like the Dunbar House provide challenges that make it difficult to provide complete access to all visitors. Please call the site with specific questions and concerns before visiting.

Kid Friendly? For Elementary-School Aged Kids and Older: The Dunbar House tour would be a great way to let kids see what it would have been like to live during the early 1900s. However, there are steep stairs that might be hard for little legs to navigate. Additionally, the objects in the house are arranged so that visitors can see how the Dunbars lived, but they are not to be touched. This could be a challenge for very young kids. The visitor center also features games and activities for kids, as well as a typewriter they can try and a station to stamp their Ohio History Connection or National Park passport.

Lunch: Every great road trip includes a great lunch! I’m a Dayton girl, but haven’t lived in the area for many years, so I consulted my high school bestie for a lunch recommendation. She knocked it out of the park with the Canal Street Arcade & Deli. Just a few minutes’ drive from the Dunbar House, the Canal Street Arcade & Deli is exactly the kind of restaurant I love on a road trip. They feature traditional and original deli sandwiches, as well as breakfast sammies, pizza, soups and salads. Looking for gluten free or vegetarian options? They’ve got those too. I got the Cajun turkey sandwich, and my coworkers got a garden salad and a Ham & Cheese sandwich. The bread and other ingredients were very fresh, and everything was made to order.

Besides the food, the main reason for visiting Canal Street Arcade & Deli is the arcade games. The place is jam packed with pinball machines and video games. It was like stepping back in time to the 1980s. It would be easy to spend a couple of hours playing games and eating a meal here. I would highly recommend checking it out when you’re in the area.

For more information: To learn more about the Paul Laurence Dunbar House, you can visit our website or the National Park Service’s website.

Ohio History Connection members enjoy free general admission at all the historic sites and museums in our network. Visit ohiohistory.org/join for more details!

Looking for more to do on your road trip?

Explore America 250-Ohio’s Creativity Trail! The trail includes more than 100 sites. Learn more here.

Interested in Ohio writers? The Harriet Beecher Stowe House (an Ohio History Connection site) in Cincinnati is just an hour away from the Dunbar House.

Are arts and culture your jam? The National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center (an Ohio History Connection site) and The Dayton Art Institute are both an easy drive from the Dunbar House.

Want to learn more about Black History? Make a day of it by combining your visit to the Dunbar House with stops at the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center and the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame.

Looking to learn more about Dayton history? Dayton has some great museums and living history sites. Spend the day exploring Carillon Historical Park, America’s Packard Museum and the rest of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.

Curious about aviation and military history? Visit the world-class National Museum of the United States Air Force to connect the Wright Brother’s legacy with today’s precision technology.

What do you think of when you hear “flesh‑eating beetles”? Something alien in a science fiction movie? Maybe those swarming scarab beetles from The Mummy — huge, exotic, and terrifying as they crawl across the screen and devour every living thing (and person) in their path. But did you know the Ohio History Connection has its own colony of flesh‑eating beetles?

Our colony lives in the natural history lab – and they’ve got their very own room! When people tentatively enter the “Dermestid Room” and gain the courage to peer into the large plastic storage container housing the beetles, their initial apprehension fades disappointment sets in. “That’s it!?”

They may not be scary, but they are incredibly helpful! Flesh-eating beetles are members of the beetle family Dermestidae, commonly known as Skin Beetles or Carpet Beetles. The species we employ at the Ohio History Connection is the Hide Beetle, Dermestes maculatus, which is found worldwide - on every continent except Antarctica. Adult hide beetles are only about ¼ - 1/2 inch in length and the larvae can be up to about ¾ inch.

For us, the real workhorses are the larvae, not the adults. We use the larvae to clean animal skeletons for our comparative skeletal collection. After we remove the hide, organs, and major muscles of a specimen, we introduce them into the beetle colony. When we’re preparing delicate specimens like bird skulls or small bones we want to keep together, we need to be careful and remove the specimen at the appropriate time. Once the soft tissue is gone the larvae will sometimes eat the thin bones of the skull or the cartilage between small bones, like in the feet, causing them to fall apart. The larvae consume the remaining soft tissue, leaving us with a nice, mostly-clean skeleton – saving staff hours in the tedious (and smelly) job of preparing skeletons.

Outside the lab, dermestid beetles play an important role in nature. The beetles arrive after fly larvae (maggots) remove most of the tissue from a deceased animal. Then, the dermestids complete the final cleaning, consuming the dried bits and pieces of tissue remaining on the skeleton.

But what about living tissue? There has only been one verified case of dermestid larvae attacking a living animal. This was on a farm where large, inactive male turkeys were housed in an overcrowded pen. Beetle larvae burrowed just a short way under the skin of some of the birds. Other than this one disturbing incident, dermestids are not known to consume living tissue.

How long does it take the larvae to clean a skeleton? That depends on the size of the colony, i.e. how many larvae are present, and the size of the skeleton. A colony can vary from a few dozen individuals when food is scarce, to thousands of larvae when there’s plenty to eat. With an average sized colony a mouse skull can be cleaned in a day or two, while the skeleton of a raccoon could take a week or more.

When I first suggested acquiring dermestid beetles for the museum, I was met with hesitation from the history curators. Why would we want to introduce a tank of hundreds of destructive pests into the museum!? Dermestid beetles, of which there are many species, are major pests in museum collections! Some species attack silk, wool, keratin, and wood – not to mention taxidermy specimens in natural history collections. To prevent potential problems, we developed a rigorous plan for how the colony is housed and how we introduce and remove specimens from their container.

For over 150 years, Dermestid beetles have worked in museums to clean skeletons. They are the best employees; they do a wonderful job, work 24 hours a day, and all you gotta do is feed ‘em!

Dave Dyer - Natural History Curator

Note: We do not kill animals to obtain skeletons for the collection. Specimens come from animals that died accidentally, such as roadkill, those killed by predators, and birds that fly into windows. We hold state and federal permits that allow us to collect and house specimens of native animals.