About Our Chapter
Preserving the legacy of the American Revolution in northeast Indiana
Our Namesake: Anthony Halberstadt
Anthony Halberstadt was born in Hessen-Kassel, Germany, around 1755. He came to America during the Revolutionary War as a Hessian soldier fighting for England. He was captured at Trenton on December 26, 1776, when General George Washington led his forces across the Delaware River and surprised the British garrison in the early morning hours.
Rather than await prisoner exchange, Halberstadt made a fateful choice. His sympathies turned toward the American cause. He deserted the ranks of the English and became a driver for one of the Generals in the Continental Army. After independence was established, he retired to civil life, married an English lady named Sarah Miller, and had four children. He settled in Berks County, Pennsylvania, then around 1800 his family moved by flatboat down the Ohio River to Fort Washington (near Cincinnati), and then by ox-team to Cedar Grove, near Brookville, in Franklin County, Indiana. Anthony Halberstadt was buried on his farm in 1831.
Our Founder: Jim Halberstadt
James Franklin Halberstadt, Chapter Founder. 1912 to 1983
James Franklin Halberstadt was born in 1912 in Pleasant Mills, Indiana, and passed in 1983. He was the 3rd great-grandson of Anthony Halberstadt.
Jim was a man of remarkable character. He played baseball as a catcher in high school and later competed in horseshoe pitching at the county and state level, earning runner-up at the Indiana State competition in 1952. He worked at Harvester in Fort Wayne, served three years in the Army in the Pacific Theatre of Operations, and later moved to Decatur in 1952. Throughout his life he fought polio, a fractured skull, hepatitis, bladder cancer, and a muscle disease that attacked the use of his legs. He did not stop.
On July 19, 1969, Jim Halberstadt founded the Anthony Halberstadt Chapter. He called the first meeting to order with a gavel made from oak from the home of William Henry Harrison in Vincennes. The chapter was formally chartered at a banquet held at the American Legion Hall in Decatur, Indiana.
Jim Halberstadt
President
Don Melching
Vice President
Dick Heller Jr.
Secretary
Douglas Halberstadt
Treasurer
Other founding members: James F. Halberstadt Sr., James Jerome Yager, Alonzo F. Halberstadt, L. Luther Yager, Melvin Werling, and Lester Halberstadt.
Chapter Milestones
July 19, 1969
Anthony Halberstadt Chapter formally chartered in Decatur, Indiana
October 25, 1969
Jim Halberstadt founds the local Children of the American Revolution (CAR)
March 2, 1970
Dick Heller elected Treasurer of the Indiana Society SAR
June 14, 1970
Chapter Constitution and Bylaws adopted unanimously at Flag Day meeting
July 13, 1970
Jim Halberstadt awarded the Indiana State Society Good Citizenship Medal
October 7, 1974
Anthony Halberstadt Chapter hosts the Indiana State Society meeting; chapter grows to become the fourth largest in the state with 43 members
1974 & 1975
Mayor of Decatur signs Constitution Week proclamation in recognition of the chapter’s civic work
Our Founding Charter
On July 18, 1969, the Indiana Society of the Sons of the American Revolution granted the Anthony Halberstadt Chapter its official charter. Signed by the founding members in Decatur, Indiana, this document authorized the formation of our chapter and charged us with a sacred duty: to revive and keep alive the spirit of pure and unselfish patriotism which inspired the Fathers of the Republic.
Chapter Charter — Original, 1969
Granted July 18, 1969 — Decatur, Indiana
Jim's Legacy
Beyond the chapter, Jim Halberstadt organized the Morgan Raid Camp Chapter of the Sons of Union Veterans, served as commander for the Disabled American Veterans, and held membership in the Descendants of Colonial Clergy and the Society of Colonial Wars, among others. He was awarded the Indiana Society's Good Citizenship Medal in 1970 in recognition of his unfailing faith in America and dedication to his forebears.
The gavel he used to call that first meeting to order, carved from the oak of William Henry Harrison's home in Vincennes, remains a symbol of the chapter's connection to the deep roots of American history.
Leadership & Organization
2025-2026
Chapter Officers
Meet the 2025-2026 executive committee leading our chapter.
Chapter Committees
See the full list of chapter committees and their leads.
Chapter Constitution
Read the founding governing document of the Anthony Halberstadt Chapter.
Chapter By-Laws
The governing rules and procedures of the Anthony Halberstadt Chapter.
Past Chapter Presidents
- 2019 - PresentJeffrey W. Jones
- 2017 - 2018Dennis L. Wright
- 2015 - 2016David W. Peters
- 2012 - 2014Wendell D. Horn
- 2010 - 2011Douglas H. Wellman
- 2008 - 2009William E. Sharp III
- 2005 - 2007Douglas H. Wellman
- 2004 - 2004Blaine Sowers
- 2002 - 2003Roger D. Barnhart
- 2000 - 2001Thomas Langley
- 1998 - 1999Lt. Col. James Regnier
- 1994 - 1995William Sark
Chapter founded July 19, 1969 by James Franklin Halberstadt, President 1969 - 1983.
Carry the Legacy Forward
The Anthony Halberstadt Chapter has stood for patriotism, service, and brotherhood since 1969. If you are a male descendant of a Revolutionary War patriot, your place is with us.