18-07-2025
Forgotten Revolutionary War veteran added to Iowa memorial
The name of a Revolutionary War veteran who had long been forgotten by history was carved into stone on the Iowa State Capitol grounds this week.
Why it matters: Memorials preserve memory, connect generations and strengthen civic identity.
Matrom Elmore is the second veteran to be added to the Capitol's Revolutionary War Memorial since it was installed more than 20 years ago — and others are still being identified through research.
Catch up quick: The Revolutionary War ended in 1783, more than six decades before Iowa's statehood.
The memorial honors its veterans who are buried in Iowa, and it initially listed 39 names.
Flashback: Ebenezer Ayres, who served in the Connecticut Militia, was added as the 40th in 2008.
Driving the news: Elmore, who served as a private in the Virginia militia, was added after more than a decade of research by Clive resident Mike Rowley, a member of the Sons of the American Revolution.
That resulted in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs certifying Elmore's service in 2013.
Zoom in: Elmore settled in what is now Lee County after the war.
The intrigue: Rowley is Elmore's five-times-great-grandson.
