Hamilton County Reporter
Hamilton County will celebrate its bicentennial in 2023. Hamilton County was officially designated by the state and founded as a governmental entity in 1823.
Ward
Williams
A 2023 Bicentennial Commission has been appointed by the Hamilton County Commissioners to oversee the bicentennial’s celebration through events and projects throughout the county. The Commission will consist of a representative from each township appointed by the township trustee. County Clerk Kathy Kreag Williams and County Surveyor Kenton Ward will co-chair the commission.
“I had the honor of serving on the 175th celebration and am excited to be a part of the 200th anniversary,” Williams said. “Hamilton County has so many deep-rooted traditions as well as the many changes that have come with our growth. I look forward to celebrating it all.”
The 2023 Bicentennial Commission will be supported by an executive committee consisting of Jessica Petty, Hamilton County Historical Society; David Heighway, Hamilton County Historian; Brenda Myers and Sarah Buckner, Hamilton County Tourism; and a voluntary treasurer to be elected from the township appointments. Regular reports to the Hamilton County Board of Commissioners will be made.
Heighway
“The Bicentennial is an opportunity to not only look to our past but also our future,” said Heighway. “This community has experienced significant change over time, and this will be an opportunity to reflect on where we are and where we want to go.”
The Commission will launch in the fourth quarter of 2020, then meet quarterly in 2021, nine times in 2022, monthly in 2023, and once in 2024 to review a program assessment and define the bicentennial’s committee structure.
There will be many opportunities for folks to engage in the bicentennial through committee membership, by signing up for special projects, submitting programming ideas and using some of the materials for classrooms and clubs that will be developed for the celebration.
A web portal will be developed by early 2021 to allow anyone interested in knowing more to sign up for email information or to serve on a committee.