In 1941 on George Washington’s birthday February 22, a bronze plaque bearing the names of the 158 soldiers of the Revolutionary War who settled in Montgomery County and are buried in the same was unveiled and dedicated at the Old Dayton Courthouse. The Richard Montgomery Chapter, Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) were in charge of the dedication and were assisted by members of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Children of the American Revolution, Sons of Union Veterans, and Montgomery County Commissioners.
According to Curt Dalton of Dayton History and Lori Rotterman of the Dayton Metro Library, the plaque was removed during the Courthouse renovation between 2003 and 2005 and was taken to Memorial Hall for storage. It was rediscovered in January 2019 and Dayton History transferred the plaque to The American Veterans Heritage Center in October of the same year. Through their efforts and in conjunction with Richard Montgomery, SAR, the plaque was restored in 2020.
“In 2022, The American Veterans Heritage Center transferred the plaque to Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum where all parties then worked together with Morrison Monuments in Bellbrook to have the plaque adhered to a granite monument,” stated Bob Neff, project chairman, SAR. “The monument will be placed in the Soldier’s Section at Woodland Cemetery where all who visit can honor the men who fought for our independence.”
Of the 158 soldiers listed on the bronze plaque, Woodland has 20 of the soldiers resting peacefully among its 200 verdant acres of rolling hills and valleys. Most notably are Colonel Robert Patterson, grandfather of John H. Patterson, founder of National Cash Register (NCR) and Major David Zeigler, a German immigrant who served as Senior Captain of the First Pennsylvania Continental Regiment and later became the first mayor of Cincinnati.
Steve Kaplan, president of SAR, said, “All of the members of the Richard Montgomery Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution are very excited to once again have this plaque on display in the public area. Our chapter’s three goals are to work on historical, educational, and patriotic projects. This plaque fulfills all three.”
The unveiling of the restored plaque on the granite marker will be held on Saturday, October 29, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. at Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum located at 118 Woodland Avenue in Dayton. The dedication is open to the public and all are welcome to attend.
After a year without tours, due to the pandemic, the Woodland Historic Cemetery & Arboretum has announced they are bringing back a schedule Sunset tours beginning Thursday, June 3rd. There will be two different volunteer lead walking t0urs available, 
They are also offering a Special 5 hour Headstone Cleaning and Restoration class on Sept 18th, brought to you by Misti Spillman of Reviving Cemeteries and Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum. This workshop is for beginners and cost is $30 per person. You will receive hands on, one-on-one and group instruction on headstone preservation techniques including: fixing breaks, resetting, cleaning and how to mix proper mortars for stone repair. You will also receive a Headstone Cleaning Starter Kit that will include all of the tools needed for the day. The entire workshop will be spent in the cemetery. A break for lunch will be provided. Please feel free to bring a lunch or visit any of the restaurants on Brown Street.
A life-long public speaker and supporter of the Miss America Pageant, Marion Bergeron still holds the crown as the youngest Miss America in history, winning at the age of 15 – 1/2.
Marion was a typical teenager from a typical family. Born and raised in West Haven, Connecticut, she attended a Catholic high school. Her father was a patrol man with the town police and her mother stayed home and took care of the house and kids and accompanied young Marion to the pageant as her chaperone.
While Marion was blessed with blonde bombshell looks, she was quite an accomplished singer by the age of twelve and after winning the title of Miss America, she went on to perform professionally with the “Miss America Orchestra” as well as famous musicians such as Ozzie Nelson, Guy Lombardo and Rudy Vallee who she once labelled “an octopus.”
Marion Bergeron was was born on May 3, 1918 in West Haven, Connecticut and died on October 22, 2002 in Dayton, Ohio at the age of 84 from complications of leukemia. She is located in Section 123 Lot 11.
A nationally recognized writer on music, Betty began her career at the age of 15 when she wrote freelance music reviews for the former Dayton Journal newspaper. During her 53 years at the Dayton Daily News, she held the positions of women’s page editor, art critic and arts editor.
Anthony Brown was born in Sussex County, New Jersey on September 15, 1816. He came to Ohio in 1817 with his parents and settled in Greene County in 1825. He arrived in Dayton in 1851 with his brother, Henry M. Brown. Together they established a hat store in 1837. Anthony inherited the hat store in 1861 after Henry died. The business was located on North Main Street where a full line of hats of the very best quality and of the latest styles were kept.
Charles Goodwin Bickham received the Medal of Honor for “distinguished gallantry” on May 2, 1902, in the Battle of Bayang, during the Moro Rebellion. Lt. Bickham carried a wounded soldier across a “fire swept field.” His medal was awarded by Theodore Roosevelt on April 28, 1904.
