NORTHAMPTON — While 173 Revolutionary War veterans lie buried in Bridge Street Cemetery, a local historian is bringing their stories to light as America marks its 250th anniversary.

On Saturday morning, dozens of people braved scorching heat, taking shelter under trees and a couple of tents in the cemetery to commemorate those who put their lives on the line in the fight against Britain that led to the country’s founding. Throughout the cemetery, American flags marked the graves of Revolutionary War veterans.

Among those buried in the cemetery, which was established in 1611, are William Clark, a private who began serving along the Hudson River at age 16, and Gen. Seth Pomeroy, the only Northampton resident to fight at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Pomeroy was 65 when he took part in the battle.

Debra Windoloski speaks about some of the 173 Revolutionary War veterans buried at Bridge Street Cemetery at Patriot Pride, an America 250th event held last Saturday in Northampton and organized by the Betty Allen chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The chapter honored Windoloski with an Excellence in Historic Preservation Award for her research into the patriots buried at the old cemetery. CAROL LOLLIS / Staff photo

The captain of the Northampton Minutemen regiment was Jonathan Allen, who has a grave on Bridge Street. He was one of six sons of Betty Allen to serve in the war. Allen, herself a prominent early resident of Northampton whose legacy is defined by her career as a colonial midwife, is also buried in the cemetery.

Not far from where speeches took place at Saturday’s event is a five-legged stone table, which is the gravestone of Capt. John Hunt. He lived at 109 Elm St., a colonial-style home today known as Sessions House at Smith College.

There are also 11 forgotten African American patriots in the cemetery who do not have marked graves.

‘The majority were common soldiers, fathers, sons and brothers, fighting together untrained, and going from their farm fields to the battlefields,” said Debra Windoloski, who received an Excellence in Historic Preservation Award from the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) for her work unearthing their stories.

Honoring the first veterans in the nation’s history would not have been possible without Windolowski’s research in “Patriot Grave Project,” those gathered on Saturday said.

The research located 173 Revolutionary-era veterans over a two-year period. If the yet-to-be-verified numbers are accurate, it would mean Bridge Street Cemetery is likely to have more veterans from America’s first war than any other cemetery nationwide, according to Windolowski.

Joy Taylor, dressed as Elizabeth “Betty” Allen, stands at Allen’s gravesite and talks to a group about Allen and her role in the Revolutionary War during an America 250th event organized by the Betty Allen chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Saturday’s ceremony, called Patriot Pride, remembered the 173 Revolutionary War patriots buried at the Bridge Street Cemetery in Northampton. CAROL LOLLIS / Staff Photo

“The most rewarding part of this project so far has been getting to know our patriots right here in Bridge Street Cemetery, learning their stories, researching their military service and finding their gravestones so that we could honor them with a flag at today’s event,” she said after receiving a framed award recognizing her work.

Saturday’s event also featured local reenactors bringing four of the people buried in the cemetery to life by wearing period clothing and leading tours. They portrayed Caleb Strong, who served as Massachusetts governor from 1800-1807 (played by Benjamin Spencer); Gen. Seth Pomeroy, a distinguished military leader from Northampton (played by Andrew Taylor); Elizabeth “Betty” Allen (played by Joy Taylor); and Phebe Bartlett Parsons, wife of a Minuteman and mother of patriot soldiers (played by Madeleine Cahill).

DAR State Regent Mary Tedesco said that she often has to explain why her organization, founded in 1890, has enduring relevance. She told those present that today’s living are the stewards of history.

“As we celebrate America 250, we are reminded that history is not simply something that we study. It is something we inherit, preserve and pass forward. Each generation serves as a steward for our nation’s history,” she said.

Allan Knox, a Desert Storm veteran who has played a role in the upkeep of the gravesites at the Bridge Street Cemetery in Northampton, salutes as “Taps” is played at an America 250th event organized by the Betty Allen chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution last Saturday. “Any flags that go down, they go right back up. It’s my pleasure and my honor to do it,” said Knox. CAROL LOLLIS / Staff photo

The morning event was attended by several regional dignitaries, including Northampton Mayor Gina- Louise Sciarra, state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, D-Northampton, and Northwestern District Attorney Dave Sullivan. Steve Connor, the 22-year director of Northampton’s Veterans’ Services who retired in May, was also honored with a “Distinguished Citizen Award” from the National DAR Society.

“Today, we not only remember those who fought for independence, but we also recognize the many individuals in our community who continue the work of preserving history, serving others and strengthening our civic life,” Sciarra said.

Jim Bouchard, a member of the color guard for the VFW in Florence, signs a copy of the Declaration of Independence as he enters the America 250th event organized by the Betty Allen chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The event, called Patriot Pride, was honoring revolutionary war patriots buried at the Bridge Street Cemetery. CAROL LOLLIS / Staff photo

Sabadosa talked about the current climate of political divisiveness, and how it is a necessary ingredient to keep democracy alive.

“I feel like we are being more and more divided, that we fight more and more everyday about the future, about what we should be focused on, and there’s a place for that,” she said. “Democracy needs to be messy, there needs to be disagreement. It’s not strong otherwise”

Ray Ellsworth of Becket, one of many color guard members dressed in traditional military uniforms from the Revolutionary War period who performed a three-volley salute with old muskets, said the flag is a source of unity.

“It flies over our courthouses, it flies over our government buildings, it flies over our schools daily. It’s brought down to half-mast in times of sorrow and tragedy,” he said, leading a toast to the flag. “It went with our soldiers to free us from tyranny. It went south during the Civil War to end slavery, it went to Europe to free Europe from the Holocaust. It’s just a beautiful thing.”

In addition to reading the entire text of the Declaration of Independence, the names of all 173 veterans were read:

Elijah Allen I, Elisha Allen, Jonathan Allen, Elijah Alvord, Medad Alvord, Holister Baker, John Baker, Abner Barnard, Israel Barnard, Jacob Bates, Robert Breck, Asahel Clapp, Azariah Clapp, Ebenezer Clapp, Elijah Clapp, Eliphas Clapp, Quartus Clapp, Seth Clapp, Simeon Clapp Jr., Simeon Clapp Sr., Supply Clapp, Benjamin Clark, David Clark Sr., David Clark Jr., Ebenezer Clark, Elijah Clark, Enoch Clark, Epaphras Clark, Ezra Clark, Isaac Clark, Ithamar Clark Jr., Joel Clark, Jonas Clark, Josiah Clark Jr., Lemuel Clark, Lyman Clark, Nathaniel Clark, Samuel Clark Jr., Samuel Clark Sr., Silas Massey Clark, Solomon Clark, William Clark, William Clark, Richard Clarke, Aaron Cook, Jacob Cook, Joseph Cook, Justin Cook, Noah Cook, Cotton Dickenson, James Dickinson, Josiah Dickinson, Erastus Dwight, Benjamin Edwards, Daniel Edwards, David Edwards, Eli Edwards, Medad Edwards, Nathaniel Edwards II, Nathaniel Edwards, Vester Edwards, Nathaniel Fowle, Asa French, Joseph Hawley, Samuel Hinkley, James Hulbert Jr., Ebenezer Hunt, Elijah Hunt, John Hunt, Jonathan Hunt, Seth Hunt, Joseph Hutchens, William Hutchins, Timothy Jewett, Samuel Judd, William Judd Jr., John King, Samuel King, Titus King, Enos Kingsley, Hains Kingsley, Moses Kingsley, Ebenezer Lane, Abner Lyman, Elias Lyman, Elisha Lyman, Joel Lyman, John Lyman Jr., Joseph Lyman Jr., Luke Lyman, Thomas Lyman, Elisha Mather, Jacob Osborn, Amasa Parsons, Elisha Parsons, Isaac Parsons, Israel Parsons, Jacob Parsons, John Parsons, Josiah Parsons, Moses Parsons, Nathaniel Parsons, Noah Parsons, Oliver Parsons, Phineas Parsons, Samuel Parsons, Seth Parsons, Simeon Parsons, Timothy M. Parsons, Ebenezer Phelps, Eliphalet Phelps, Enoch Phelps, Jonathan Phelps, Martin Phelps, Nathaniel Phelps Jr., Nathaniel Phelps Sr., Samuel Phelps, Seward Phelps, Asahel Pomeroy, Daniel Pomeroy, Gaius Pomeroy, Heman Pomeroy, Quartus Pomeroy, Seth Pomeroy, William Pomeroy, Ebenezer Prescott, Gersham Randall, Hezekiah Russell Jr., Hezekiah Russell, Daniel Rust, Israel Rust, Benjamin Sheldon, Elias Sheldon, James Smith, Charles Starkweather, Bela Strong Sr., Bela Strong Jr., Benjamin Strong, Caleb Strong, Daniel Strong, David Strong, Ebenezer Strong, Eleazar Strong, Elijah Strong, Jonathan Strong Jr., Jonathan Strong Sr., Joseph Strong.

Samuel Gelinas is the hilltown reporter with the Daily Hampshire Gazette, covering the towns of Williamsburg, Cummington, Goshen, Chesterfield, Plainfield, and Worthington, and also the City of Holyoke....