A historian, a retired judge, and the local DAR chapter offer Middletown history lessons just in time for the nation’s 250th celebration

When the United States celebrated its bicentennial 50 years ago, enthusiasm was high, with the Smithsonian museums and the National Mall serving as the epicenter of events stoking patriotic fervor. Now, when the country is ostensibly celebrating a quarter-millennium since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, festivities are, to put it mildly, muted.

However, taking a breath and consulting historical documents is a reminder that democracy has endured the threatening winds of war and conflict. And, amid these challenges, citizens have leaned into common interests as a stable, collaborative community to meet these challenges and emerge as a strong, more engaged republic.

Given Middletown’s longstanding legacy as a manufacturing hub and a close-knit community, it’s not surprising that its residents have answered the call in many ways to help the United States meet wartime needs.

Two local history buffs plus a third Ohioan presenting in March at Miami University Middletown, pay homage to unsung patriots. The region’s engagement from the Revolutionary War through World War II reflects the city’s resilience and can-do mentality.

Historic treasures that span centuries

A retired graphic artist and former Armco employee, Sam Ashworth, who currently serves as director of the Middletown Historical Society, is well-versed in the area’s historical legacy. He noted that his passion for historical subjects stems from the excitement of discovery during his role in creating visual elements for Armco’s 75^th anniversary. Ashworth worked at Armco (now Cleveland Cliffs) from the mid-60s through 1979.

Although modern-day Ohio was a territory and not yet a state at the time of the Revolutionary War, the area still held connections to the country’s formation.

“Many of our area’s settlers migrated from New Jersey, including from the region around Middletown, New Jersey,” Ashworth said. “It’s not known whether the town was named after the Garden State city. There’s speculation that they were offered parcels of land in the Ohio Territory as a tribute for their Revolutionary War service, but no known documentation.”

Revolutionary War veterans who settled in Middletown and are buried in Pioneer Cemetery include the Rev. James Grimes, (1760-1846) who served with Virginia’s soldiers and was taken prisoner at the Battle of Charleston, and Joseph Lummis (1760-1836), who was a drummer in New Jersey’s militia. Unfortunately, the original Pioneer Cemetery, where the city’s first settlers were interred, was washed away by Middletown’s Great Flood of 1913, which displaced more than 1,000 people and left 25% of the city underwater.

Does your family have connections to the Revolutionary War?

Middie City residents maintain connections to our country’s formation through the city’s Jonathan Bayard Smith chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Pamela Jean Follstaedt Adams, the chapter’s regent, noted that chapter supplemented the history curriculum at area schools, and engages students with its annual Good Citizens Essay Contest, which encourages students to convey their commitment to dependability, service, leadership, and patriotism. The DAR chapter also proudly places American flags on veterans’ graves each Memorial Day and wreaths at Christmastime.

As nationwide celebrations of its 250^th anniversary unfold this year, Adams suggested that people seek out their own possible connections to Revolutionary War and colonial history. In addition to well-known genealogical resources such as Ancestry.com, she suggested accessing the DAR’s free Genealogical Research System, which helps users search for Revolutionary-era ancestors against the DAR’s extensive documentation of Revolution-era patriots.

“Recognizing patriot service isn’t limited to soldiers who carried muskets or fired cannons,” Adams said. “Women who aided army camps, farmers who supplied food or horses, and [anyone who contributed] … qualifies as a Patriot.”

Lean into your family’s history

Crispus Attacks, a Boston sailor of black and Native American ancestry, is enshrined in history as the first casualty of the Boston Massacre and the first death of the American Revolution. However, little has been commemorated about the conflict’s sacrifices made by people of color.

With this in mind, Dayton resident Frances McGee-Cromartie, a retired assistant prosecuting attorney and Common Pleas Court judge for Montgomery County, will speak at Middletown’s Verity Lodge on March 12 with a talk called “Finding Henry Dorton”, which recounts discovering her ancestor’s role in the Revolutionary War.

Roughly 40 years ago, McGee-Cromartie learned of Dorton’s legacy. He served three tours of duty, including participating in the final battle in Yorktown. However, she found disbelief when she discussed her patriotic ancestor.

“In a conversation with legal colleagues, when the topic turned to the Revolutionary War, I told Henry’s story,” she said. “The immediate response was, ‘Blacks didn’t fight in the Revolution.’ I had done my research, and I’ve always made it a point to present thorough evidence.”

Like many African Americans, McGee-Cromartie had increased interest in her ancestry after watching the seminal TV miniseries “Roots”. When her mother introduced her to fellow Dorton descendants, it motivated her to learn more about Dorton. Her meticulous research led her to Maryland’s birth archives, and she followed Henry’s journey to present-day West Virginia, where records show he settled after his Revolutionary War service.

Thanks to detailed works such as a 1973 West Virginia History article by Edward Steele, Jr., and an essay by Joy U. Berkeley about Dorton that was presented in 1987 at the West Virginia Black History Conference, McGee-Cromartie was able to find more in-depth information about him, and learned that she wasn’t alone in unearthing an overlooked aspect of Revolutionary War history.

According to the Museum of the American Revolution, as many as 8,000 African-American solders served during the conflict, comprising roughly 4% of Continental forces. McGee-Cromartie hopes that her talk will inspire others to lean into their family’s history, and that the audience will apply lessons from history to the current landscape.

“The government has long treated many unfairly, but history has helped teach me to gain courage from the work of my ancestors,” she said. “It may hurt, but it’s not enough to break me. Also, remember that just because someone is uneducated doesn’t mean they are unwise. We all deserve to have a voice.”

Conflict as a young nation grows into world leadership

Information is scant about War of 1812 combatants, but Ashworth noted that a Butler County-based 2^nd Rifles Division served in the Mexican American War, and its role in the Battle of Monterey was noted. Ferdinand Van Derveer, a young Middletown attorney, served as a 1^st Sgt. who helped lead the troops. This experience prepared him for his appointment by Ohio Gov. William Denison on July 26, 1861, to lead the newly formed 35^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry regiment, which was comprised of Butler County men. Van Derveer’s unit began its training at the Butler County Fairgrounds and spent 1862 and 1863 moving through Kentucky and Tennessee. The 35^th saw action and made its most notable contribution to the war as part of the 3^rd Brigade at the Battle of Chickamauga on September 19, 1863, along the Tennessee- Georgia border. Although there’s no documentation of Middletown natives specifically serving in the 35^th, there are 15 Middletown native Civil War veterans entombed at Pioneer.

U.S. involvement in World War I was comparatively brief, but during the nation’s 16-month involvement in “The Great War,” Armco’s prescient decision to expand into a large steel-production facility left the company well-placed to support the war effort. Further, a group of 14 Armco employees formed the all-volunteer Armco Ambulance Corps, which served with such distinction that its members were awarded the fourragère, a high French military honor bestowed for uncommon valor amid combat.

The unlimited need for metal to bolster U.S. efforts in World War II included Armco’s production of steel sheets and plates that were crucial to the construction of ships, tanks, and myriad other types of military equipment. The company’s staunch military support earned Armco three Army-Navy Excellence in Production Awards (known within the service as “E” Awards).

Aeronca, another company then based in Middletown, built planes that were vital to U.S. aviation, including the Grasshopper, a lightweight plane used for liaisons and reconnaissance, and training aircraft such as the Fairchild PT-19 and PT-23.

While the war yielded triumph for the Allied Forces, combat inevitably brings tragedy as well. Forty Middletown natives died during World War II. They are memorialized on a plaque that stands in Woodside Park.

This Partner City Middletown series is made possible with support provided by: Cincinnati Commercial Contracting, the city of Middletown, the Middletown Community Foundation, and the Chamber of Commerce serving Middletown, Monroe and Trenton. You can read other stories from the series here.