Caption: Bells above were rung simultaneously across the nation!

The members of the Isaac Van Wart Chapter of DAR celebrated the start of Constitution Week (Sept 17-23) with the official ringing of the bells at 4pm EDT in front of the Van Wert County Courthouse on September 17, 2026. Bells rang for 1 minute following a history on the Constitution read by Regent Deb Hardeman and the Mayoral Proclamation read by Sheila Baltzell-Linn. On this day in 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, 39 delegates at the Constitutional Convention signed the Constitution of the United States of America. Nearly 170 years later, in 1955, DAR spearheaded an effort to set aside one week annually when Americans could celebrate this iconic signing. After petitioning Congress to set aside the week of September 17 – 23, on August 2, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed Constitution Week into law.
Our Country’s founding document (a copy), The Constitution, is on display at the Brumback Library along with some books you can check-out to learn more!