Buffington Island [OH]

Description

Buffington Island commemorates the only significant Civil War battle that took place on Ohio soil. Here a Union army routed a column of Confederate cavalry commanded by General John Hunt Morgan in 1863. A monument made of broken Ohio glacial boulders is set in a four-acre outdoor park where visitors can enjoy picnics and read the signs describing the history of the area. It is not on an island.

Website does not specify any interpretive services beyond signage offered at the site.

Fallen Timbers

Description

Near the site of the battle of Fallen Timbers, this small park contains a monument honoring Major General Anthony Wayne as well as smaller monuments to the soldiers and Native Americans who died in the battle. The battle of Fallen Timbers on 20 August, 1794, was decisive in bringing the Indians of the Northwest Territory to sign the Treaty of Greene Ville. By this treaty the Indians ceded southern and eastern Ohio to settlers. This brief battle, an overwhelming victory for Wayne's forces, was fought in an area recently ravaged by a windstorm, hence the name Fallen Timbers.

Does not provide specifics about interpretative resources available at the site.

Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site

Description

Fort Kaskaskia State Historic Site preserves the timeworn earthen remains of Fort Kaskaskia, constructed by the French ca. 1759 to defend the town of Kaskaskia. Founded in 1703, the town was for more than a century the region's principal commercial center, also serving from 1818 to 1820 as the first capital of Illinois. The small fort, containing only a three-room barrack and a kitchen, was apparently never fully completed. The fort was periodically occupied by French or U.S. troops until 1807 and sheltered local settlers during Indian scares rising from the War of 1812. Today's historic site consists of four major sections: the remains of Fort Kaskaskia, Garrison Hill Cemetery, the Mississippi River overlook and picnic area, and a large campground.

Does the site offer any docent/interpretation services? Site does not specify.

Herman Davis State Park [AR]

Description

This one-acre park in Manila surrounds the gravesite of and monument to Private Herman Davis, Arkansas farm boy and war hero. Fourth on General John J. Pershing's list of World War I's 100 greatest heroes, Private Davis received the Distinguished Service Cross, the Croix de Guere, and the Medaulle Militaire awards from the American and French governments.

The site is open to the public.

Website does not specify any interpretive services available at the site.

Governor Coles Memorial

Description

Edward Coles was the second governor of Illinois. A former slaveowner from Virginia, Coles became an abolitionist and won the 1822 gubernatorial election as the candidate of the anti-slavery forces. He helped defeat a call for a constitutional convention to consider the legalization of slavery in Illinois. The memorial, which stands at Valley View Cemetery, was erected in 1928 and 1929 and contains a square bas-relief bronze portrait of Coles, sculpted by Leon Hermant. Coles is buried in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Website contains no information about interpretation services available at the site.

ABMC War Dead Database

Image
Annotation

This American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) Burials and Memorializations database features over 224,000 records of individuals buried or memorialized in ABMC cemeteries and memorials worldwide. Covering 24 cemeteries in 10 foreign countries and 3 additional memorials in the U.S., this database provides online access to burial information of those killed in action primarily during World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.

Additional individuals include veterans, active duty military, and civilians. The database also provides information on individuals in the Corozal American Cemetery (Panama) and the Mexico City National Cemetery (Mexico), including civilians and veterans of the Spanish-American War and the Civil War.

The database interface allows students to search by name, war or conflict, service or serial number, branch of service, unit, service entry location, cemetery/memorial, date of death, and keyword. Users can also search for service members who are missing in action and Medal of Honor recipients who are buried or memorialized by ABMC.

This organization of the material allows the user to explore a wealth of information. Students can research the geographic distribution of burials or explore representation among military branches in individual cemeteries. The ABMC database allows users to focus on who is buried and memorialized and to explore the experiences of individual soldiers as well as patterns and commonalities.

Students, for example, could begin to explore the number of women who served as nurses during World War I and the Influenza epidemic of 1918, or the experiences of the 100th Infantry Battalion of the U.S. Army during World War II. Or they could chose to search for an individual from their home state or community and use the database’s information as a starting point to research the life of this individual. They can download search results and print, email, or share individual records.

This valuable research and teaching resource is accompanied by a robust “Education Resources” section featuring interactive timelines and campaign narratives, cemetery or memorial-specific mobile apps, publications, videos, lesson plans, and curriculum ideas. The “Flying Yanks: American Airmen in WWI” interactive, for example, provides historical background for students exploring the air war in WWI, a timeline and map with primary sources, as well as individual stories of airmen.

Students can use the database in conjunction with the learning materials to enrich their understanding of U.S. military history, memorialization, public history, and numerous other historical topics.