A discussion about the Revolutionary War Memorial planned for the south side Highland County Courthouse lawn was held at the weekly Wednesday meeting of the Highland County Board of Commissioners.

Gerold “Buzzard” Wilkin, Highland County Veterans Honor Guard member; Gary Duffield, representative of the Sons of the American Revolution; and Mary Hawthorne, president of the Southern Ohio Genealogical Association, discussed multiple things that will be needed for the memorial representing the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution.

Wilkin said the main thing they requested was for a sign to be put up at the courthouse showing the future site of the memorial. He said the sign would be a 1.25-inch thick solid steel pipe or rod driven into the ground and that he’d also like it to be in place by Patriots’ Day on April 19. He said they would likely turn it sideways so people could see it from both sides.

Wilkin said the company handling it said the site needed to be prepared, as concrete slab where it will be located has “a little high spot in the middle of it.” He said he thought that spot could be ground down to make it “perfectly flat.” He also said they were told the slab was really deep “so it should be able to hold this monument without any trouble.”

However, he said the memorial is also required to be handicap accessible. Wilkin said the easiest place for the access would be to run a sidewalk from the fountain to the memorial. He said a concern would be if water or electric lines were near the location.

Commissioner Brad Roades recommended Wilkin talk to Shawn Adkins, Hillsboro’s Public Works superintendent.

The group is working on finding all of the graveyards and cemeteries in Highland County that they don’t have access to. He said an issue with that, though, is having to possibly go on private property.

Duffield said when all of them are found, the group would like to place a plaque or stand listing all of the Revolutionary War veterans buried at the cemetery. He then said if there is a GPS locator or some way to tell people where it is, that would be put in a book that will be produced.

Wilkin said his best estimate is that there are around 30 or 40 abandoned cemeteries that haven’t been taken care of or have had woods grown around them. Duffield said it could be something for an Eagle Scout service project, and it would be funded through a grant the group is looking at.

Wilkin said if they get the grant, they would pay people to do the research in finding the cemeteries. He said none of the grant could go to the actual memorial, but it could be used on the research for the book or other research.

Wilkin said the group plans to create a book that would represent all of the 222 Revolutionary War veterans they have found that are buried in Highland County. Hawthorne said each veteran would be listed in the book as well as information like what unit they were in and the rank they held. He said he’d heard nothing from the township trustees after a request for information on the cemeteries was sent to their fiscal officers, so Ashleigh Willey, commissioner clerk, said she would send another one.

He said another aspect that needs discussion is how to move the Highland County Daughters of the American Revolution plaque from its current location on the exterior south side of the courthouse to the new memorial. He said he already received approval from the DAR to remove it but that he would like to get it in writing to make sure.

Wilkin said the group is looking at getting something called a Liberty Elm for the anniversary. He said it would be around five or six feet tall, and the group is looking for places to possibly plant it. He also said a plaque would be placed next to it saying the tree is part of the Liberty Tree program.

However, despite the requests and plans, the commissioners didn’t formally approve anything.

In other news, Lacy Wise, marketing communications specialist with Techsolve, was in attendance to discuss the company’s presence in the county and what it does.

She said the company’s main mission is to help support manufacturers. She said their state funding is measured on the number of jobs they creates and the monetary value of economic impact, among other things. Wise said it can help manufacturers with their workforce and their processes in technology.

Representatives of the McClain FFA were present for a public speaking presentation on social media’s use in farming. The group plans to formally give the presentation at the Agricultural Issues Forum in April.

There were five resolutions approved by the board including:

* Res. No. 24-50 is a request from Donald L. and Cheryl A. Geer for support of their application to the state for the purchase of an agricultural easement on their property located at 10700 S.R. 73 in New Vienna, pertaining to the Cardinal Land Conservancy.

* Res. No. 24-51 is a request from Kim R. Hiatt for support of their application to the state for the purchase of an agricultural easement on their property located at 6080 New Vienna Rd. in New Vienna, pertaining to the Cardinal Land Conservancy.

Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.