Nathaniel Ames (1761-1863) was born in Scituate, Rhode Island, on April 25, 1761. He was sixteen years old and living in Stonington, Connecticut when he enlisted in Colonel William Ledyard's Regiment, the Eighth Connecticut Militia. He served for one month as a private at Fort Griswold in 1777. In 1779 he served for one month with Captain Billing's Company of an unspecified Connecticut regiment, and in June of 1779 Ames served six months with Captain Bett's Company of Colonel Sherman's Regiment. Beginning in December 1779, he served four months as a substitute in Captain Weaver's Company of Colonel Walbridge's Regiment. Nathaniel Ames was mustered out with the rank of Quartermaster, on January 15, 1783. Ames also served three years in the navy, and traveled the world over. Records also state that he was captured by the British.

After the war, Ames moved to the state of New York to farm. In 1791 he became a Methodist preacher. He preached for 45 years. He and his wife, Sarah Hill, reared ten children. In 1836, like many New Yorkers, he came to Wisconsin and settled briefly in Racine County. He subsequently purchased and farmed a section of land a mile from the Village of Oregon. The day after his 100th birthday, he moved into the village.

Nathaniel Ames died two years later at the age of 102, and was buried, with Masonic honors, in the Prairie Mound Cemetery, Block 4, Lot 429, in the Village of Oregon, Section 1, Town of Oregon, Dane County, Wisconsin. Ames' wife, Sarah, is also buried in that cemetery.

Prairie Mound is located on the east side of Oregon on what is the village portion of Highway M. The grave is in the middle of the cemetery near the top of the hill. The grave is marked with a large red granite Ames family marker. A Wisconsin Historic Marker in tribute to Ames is located at the central entrance to the cemetery.

GPS coordinates -- N42.94158°; W089.38206°