"Be ye Wulcume (Welcome)," Bēo þū wilcuma, Wilcumian, Fàilte, Croeso, Willkommen
Committed to the preservation and remembrance of Northeast Ohio's historical connection to New England.
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The Ohio Pioneers Cultural Heritage Institute of Connecticut's Western Reserve (OPCHI-CWR) is a qualified public charity based in Summit County, Ohio. OPCHI-CWR is officially recognized by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as an IR Code 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization. State-level charitable-organization registration documents are filed with the Ohio Secretary of State and the Attorney General's Office. The organization's mission is to preserve the history, legacy, and cultural heritage of Northeast Ohio's direct societal nexus to New England, including (1) the post-Revolutionary War and War of 1812 eras, (2) the Old Northwest pioneer-settler era (July 13, 1787 - March 1, 1803), (3) the Agrarian and Canal era (1804 - 1859), and (4) the Industrialization era (1860 - 1913).
Become a part of our cultural heritage community and help us preserve the positive legacy and societal institutions of our forebears while educating the citizenry.
Website: https://opchi-cwr.org
Local, Regional, National, and Continental Events and Forums
Mapping the American Revolution Exhibit at the Ohio Statehouse, Columbus, OH
1 May - 29 July 2026
U.S.A., National Archives Foundation, "Spirit of Independence Festival"
25 June - 10 July 2026
Independence Day (250th Anniversary of U.S.A.)
4 July 2026
OPCHI-CWR, in the spirit of the ongoing “America 250-Ohio” campaign, is formed as of May 19, 2025 in Barberton, Ohio, as an unincorporated nonprofit association (UNA), with a registered fictitious business name and agent on file with the Secretary of State of Ohio. OPCHI-CWR's legal status as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization [Internal
OPCHI-CWR, in the spirit of the ongoing “America 250-Ohio” campaign, is formed as of May 19, 2025 in Barberton, Ohio, as an unincorporated nonprofit association (UNA), with a registered fictitious business name and agent on file with the Secretary of State of Ohio. OPCHI-CWR's legal status as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization [Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3)], "Public Charity" pursuant to IR Code 509(a)(2) enables us to receive tax-deductible contributions, donations, bequests, devises, transfers of cultural property & chattels, and deeds of gifts, as per IR Code, Sections 170, 2055, 2106, or 2522.
OPCHI-CWR serves the American citizenry & native-American tribes, through (1) historical, geographical, & genealogical research, (2) civic-education outreach efforts that ethically leverage nascent generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools and digital information technologies, (3) publication of books, monographs, articles, maps & in
OPCHI-CWR serves the American citizenry & native-American tribes, through (1) historical, geographical, & genealogical research, (2) civic-education outreach efforts that ethically leverage nascent generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools and digital information technologies, (3) publication of books, monographs, articles, maps & infographics, (4) public-librarianship digital reference and archival stewardship services, (5) digitization of documents, manuscripts, records, and photographs of enduring societal value, cost-free informational support to U.S. military veterans and their families with surname roots in New England, New York, Maryland, the Commonwealths of Kentucky, Pennsylvania & Virginia, and all 200 townships of New Connecticut, and (6) provides volunteers for the clean-up [no-cost for local governments], maintenance, horticultural improvement, and cultural interpretation of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century pioneer-settler cemeteries & family gravesites, and the tribal grounds of the Lenne Lenape people, which are inextricably linked to the historically significant village of New Portage (incorporated in 1816, Portage County), the Connecticut Western Reserve (CWR) township of Norton (incorporated in 1818 as Wolf Creek Township, Town 1, Range 12), the township of Coventry (1806 - present, CWR, Town 1, Range 11), and the incorporated industrial town of Barberton (1891-present).
OPCHI-CWR aims to educate the American public, regional citizenry, and local residents about the history, culture, and societal legacy of pioneer-settlers in Ohio. Through engaging educational initiatives, we aim to foster a more profound comprehension and appreciation for this significant era of our shared American heritage.
The Connectic
OPCHI-CWR aims to educate the American public, regional citizenry, and local residents about the history, culture, and societal legacy of pioneer-settlers in Ohio. Through engaging educational initiatives, we aim to foster a more profound comprehension and appreciation for this significant era of our shared American heritage.
The Connecticut Western Reserve (CWR), established in the late 18th century, played a pivotal role in shaping the early American northwestern frontier. This geographically complex region not only served as a settlement area for pioneers but also became a cultural nexus connecting New England to the Midwest, influencing migration patterns of pioneer-settlers of European ethnicity and Native American (First Peoples), territorial and early-state community development with roots deep in the British (England, Wales, and Scotland) and Irish governmental and villatic traditions.
OPCHI-CWR is dedicated to preserving historic sites with intrinsic culural heritage value within former boundaries of New Connecticut, especially within Portage, Medina, and Summit counties, for the public’s benefit and to enrich local communities through civic-educational programs focused on the history of Northeast Ohio, various histori
OPCHI-CWR is dedicated to preserving historic sites with intrinsic culural heritage value within former boundaries of New Connecticut, especially within Portage, Medina, and Summit counties, for the public’s benefit and to enrich local communities through civic-educational programs focused on the history of Northeast Ohio, various historical and preservation activities that establish a nexus to the pioneers & settlers of Connecticut's Western Reserve and the Northwest Territory of the United States.
A unique virtual walking tour of the "Old" (original) New Portage village and the vital Tuscarawas River Port (1816 - 1828) as it was originally laid out (i.e., surveyed) by Ambrose Palmer. It is attested on the Portage County incorporation plat map encompassing Rages 11 & 12 of the Connecticut Western Reserve.
A unique virtual tour of the south site (second phase) of New Portage village (1828 - 1880), after the construction of the Ohio & Erie Canal, resulted in the deliberate civil-engineering destruction of the original river-transportation port at the southward bend of the Tuscarawas River. Railroads dominated after 1861.
A unique virtual tour of the south site (third phase or "VanHyning" [original pioneer family] allotments) of New Portage village (1892 - 1911), after the establishment of the industrial town of Barberton, which surreptitiously annexed New Portage in 1911. The Great Flood of 1913 rendered the O&E Canal defunct.
Help us preserve the regional cultural heritage of northeast Ohio's pioneer-setters by making a donation to OPCHI-CWR. Every contribution is important! At OPCHI-CWR, our vision is to create a world where everyone has access to essential historical, geographical, and educational resources about our shared past.
Supporting the residents of Ohio, the people of New England, Native American Tribes, and the citizenry of the U.S.A. for the purpose of improving our society through the dissemination of historical, geographical, and cultural knowledge.
P.O. Box 383, Barberton, Ohio 44203
Mr. J.R. Ahern, MA, MLIS, CAS, Ed.D. candidate Certified Public Librarian (Ohio Library Council) U.S. Naval War College alumnus, U.S. Army (Ret.) Certificated Paralegal (ABA, OSBA) Kappa Delta Pi (education excellence) member
