(8-14-26) The Isaac Van Wart Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, Debra Hardeman, Regent, in coordination with The City of Van Wert, OH, under the leadership of Mayor Ken Markward, are pleased to announce the re-dedication of the Historical City Limit Sign on US Route 127 South of Van Wert and the unveiling of a new Daughters of the American Revolution, NSDAR sign honoring Isaac Van Wart as a hero of the American Revolutionary War and the namesake of the city of Van Wert Ohio and the county of Van Wert.

This short ceremony and unveiling will take place on Tuesday, August 18, 2026 at 10 AM. The location for parking will be at the city dog park, address 10763 US Route 127 south of Van Wert. The community is invited to attend this short event and celebrate America250! Please note the event will be canceled and rescheduled in case of rain.

BACKGROUND

American Revolution

The Capture of Major Andre, an 1833 painting by Asher Brown Durand depicting Van Wart at André’s arrest

A yeoman farmer, Van Wart joined the volunteer militia when New York was a battle zone of the American Revolution. Overnight on 22–23 September 1780, he joined John Paulding and David Williams in an armed patrol of the area. The three men seized a traveling British officer, Major John André, in Tarrytown, New York, at a site now called Patriot’s Park. Holding him in custody, they discovered documents of André’s secret communication with Benedict Arnold. The militiamen, all yeomen farmers, refused André’s considerable bribe and delivered him to Continental Army headquarters. Arnold’s plans to surrender West Point to the British were revealed and foiled, and André was hanged as a spy. With George Washington’s personal recommendation, the United States Congress awarded Van Wart, Paulding and Williams the first military decoration of the United States, the silver medal known as the Fidelity Medallion. Each of the three also received federal pensions of $200 a year, and prestigious farms awarded by New York State.

The three militiamen were highly celebrated in their lifetimes: commemorations large and small abound in Westchester, and can be found in many disparate parts of the early United States. Among other honors, each of the men had his name given to a county in the new state of Ohio (1803), each along its western border: Van Wert County bears a common alternate spelling of the name. Adjacent Paulding County is located north of Van Wert County. Williams County is in the northwest corner of the state, separated from Paulding County by Defiance County.

Did you know?

Van Wert, Iowa was indeed named after Van Wert, Ohio in 1880. The town had mail delivery problems because its old name, Prairie City, matched another town in Iowa. A local leader named Adam Johnson chose the new name to honor his old home in Ohio.