The Association was informally organized in 1877 to prepare for the centennial anniversary of the battle. Organizers of the events gathered on January 1, 1878 on the recently excavated foundation of the original fort at Forty Fort, the site from where the American defenders had departed on the day of the fateful battle in 1778. In 1928, the sesquicentennial of the battle was elaborately celebrated both at the monument as well as throughout the community.
Each year since 1878, the Wyoming Commemorative Association has hosted a major observance on the grounds of the Wyoming Monument to pay tribute to the famed battle. Hereditary and military organizations place floral tributes at the foot of the monument and the 24th Connecticut Militia (Revolutionary War reenactors) present a volley tribute. Many members of the Association represent some of the leading families of the greater Wilkes-Barre area as well as descendants of those who fought in the battle. Frank E.P. Conyngham has served as president of the association since 1990.
Theodore Roosevelt's great-grandson Tweed Roosevelt, spoke at the Association's 2005 observance, which celebrated Roosevelt's visit to the Monument in 1905. The principal speaker at the 2010 observance was Denise Dennis, author and collateral descendant of Revolutionary War soldier Gershom Prince, an African American patriot who was killed during the Battle of Wyoming. On July 4, 2011, the Association held their annual observance, which included a rededication of the Wyoming Monument following its extensive restoration. In 2012, the keynote speaker for the observance was Dr. William V. Lewis, Jr., Commissioner of the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. In 2013, the commemoration speaker was Professor John Frantz, Professor Emeritus of American History at The Pennsylvania State University In May 2013, at a privately sponsored event at the Monument, former U. S. President Jimmy Carter gave an address on the Monument grounds.
The Association publishes an annual Proceedings, which is widely distributed both to its membership and to historic research libraries.
References
^Harvey, Oscar Jewell; Smith, Ernest Gray (1929). A History of Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania: From its First Beginnings to the Present Time, Including Chapters of Newly-discovered Early Wyoming Valley History, Together With Many Biographical Sketches and Much Genealogical Material (1st ed.). pp. 2132–2135.
Further reading
Oscar Jewel Harvey, The History of Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming Valley
Wyoming Commemorative Association, Proceedings of the Wyoming Commemorative Association