The Miamisburg History Center
open Wednesday and Saturday from 1:00pm to 4:00pm and by appointment
- for Upcoming Historical Society Events, click here
Ongoing Projects
Cemetery Preservation
Gravestone cleaning at St. John’s cemetery will commence May 31, 2023 (Wednesday) from 10:00am to 12:00pm and June 3, 2023 (Saturday) from 10:00am till 12:00pm. The plan is to meet every Wednesday and Saturday from 10-12 until September 2, 2023 (except for June 24, 2023).
Along with cleaning the gravestones, we will be recording each cemetery marker's condition and making a map of all hazardous markers and the areas in need of remediation. When we receive the records from St, John’s Church, we will be researching and matching the information with what is carved on the markers.
The cemetery is located at the corner of Maue and Gebhart Church Roads. All are welcome. A sign-in sheet is all that is required to attend this free event. Brushes, buckets, spray bottles and D2 cleaning agent will be provided. Please bring your own kneeling pad/towel. Donations are always accepted to help cover supply costs.
Carnegie Library restoration (coming soon)
Sgt. Gary Lee McKiddy Medal of Honor campaign
Every year on May 6, James R. Skaggs visits Highland Memorial Cemetery to honor his friend, Sgt. Gary Lee McKiddy, on the anniversary of McKiddy’s death. Both men served during the Vietnam Conflict.
The McKiddy family reached out to state and national representatives, stating that Gary’s bravery on May 6, 1970, should have earned him the Medal of Honor. He saved James Skaggs’s life and died while attempting to save the life of Tommy Leon Whiddon after a fiery helicopter crash on their mission in Cambodia.
Since there were no witnesses to McKiddy’s act of heroism, the Medal of Honor has not been awarded.
A member of Congress can nominate a service member to receive that Medal upon approval by a special Act of Congress. However, the medal is awarded by the Department of Defense in the name of Congress, so it is not a “Congressional” citation. The medal is a military award for extreme bravery.
The Miamisburg Historical Society is re-starting a letter-writing and postcard campaign to our elected representatives to encourage them to reconsider this award. Special postcards are available at the Miamisburg History Center. Suggested text and addresses to all local, state, and national Ohio representatives will be provided. If you can, please consider making a donation.
If you cannot make it to the History Center, print one of these short letters and send it to the representatives on this list.