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In 1896, six years after the establishment of
the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution,
Mrs. Clara Cooley, state Regent of the Iowa DAR,
appointed Mrs. Alice B. Mitchell to organize a chapter in Ottumwa.
Twelve ladies in Ottumwa, Iowa formed the Elizabeth Ross Chapter.
The charter was formally presented June 5, 1896 and closed January
15, 1897. This Chapter was the sixth one to be organized in Iowa.
Charter members were: Alice B. Mitchell, Annie Daum, Mrs. Pope,
Laura Ross, Charlotte McCue, Catherine Taylor, Lynn Mitchell
Williams, Dorothy Bell Burton, Flora Ross, Emma J. Holt, Mrs. A.G.
Harrow, Rose Dutton Gephart, Eva Philpott, Harriett Briggs, Mrs.
J.D. Ferree, Mrs Devon, Julia Merwin Ennis, Mrs. Charles Aveilhe,
Charlotte Merwin Haven.
At the organizing meeting, Mrs. Cooley
appointed Mrs. Mitchell as Regent; Mrs. Annie Daum, Vice Regent;
Mrs. Pope, Secretary; Miss Laura Ross, Treasurer; Mrs. Charlotte
McCue, Registrar; and Mrs. Catherine Taylor, Historian. Other members
helping in the organizing were Mrs. Lynn Mitchell Williams, Mrs.
Dorothy Bell Burton, Miss Flora Ross, Miss Emma J. Holt, Mrs. A. G.
Harrow and Mrs. Rose Dutton Gephart. These twelve ladies became known as
the organizing group of charter members. Seven others were accepted before the closing of the
charter on January 15, 1897. They were Mrs. Eva Philpott, Mrs.
Harriet Briggs, Mrs. J. D. Ferree, Mrs. Sarah Devon, Mrs. Julia
Merwin Ennis, Mrs. Charles Aveilhe, and Mrs. Charlotte Merwin Haven.
The first name selected for the new chapter was
General Israel Putnam but the Chapter was notified
that this name was already in use. Betsy Ross was
suggested, but some thought that the name Betsy
wasn’t a dignified name, so the chapter was duly christened
Elizabeth Ross .
To obtain a
gavel, Mrs. Mitchell donated cherry wood which had been
brought from the farm at Mt. Vernon. The gavel and a base for the
gavel was constructed from this wood and they continue to be used
at each meeting.
Some of our early history includes the
following:
April 21, 1898 -- War was declared on Spain.
Immediately the Daughters began making plans for the assistance of
the Sons of Iowa who would be involved in this war. A concert
was given and the proceeds sent to Company G who used the money to
buy a mess tent at Jacksonville, Florida. When troop trains
passed through the city, the Daughters were at the station with
coffee, milk, fruits, and other foods. When the sick and
wounded were around the city, games, fruit and flowers were
distributed to them. On Dec. 23rd 500 pounds of
magazines and other reading matter were sent to military hospitals
in Kentucky, Georgia and in Manilla and Cuba.
1908-1912, Elizabeth Ross Chapter
headed the work of the marking of the City streets, brought lineage
books up to date, gave liberally to the hiring of the first visiting
nurse in Ottumwa, and to the furnishing of the Iowa Room at Memorial
Hall, Washington D.C. The Chapter also sought out and marked many
historical spots in the County. Among them was the marking of the
grave of Chief Wapello at Agency, IA and the grave of Black Hawk.
1918-1920 -- Our regent, Mrs. Carolyn N.
Patterson, was honored by representing Mary Washington in the
pageant of American Women in Washington, D.C. A scholarship fund to
the National College was begun. We helped during the flu
epidemic. The Benjamin Franklin CAR Social Club was organized with
thirty five members. Additionally, the Daughters were active in
patriotic affairs during WW I including the making of bandages,
working with the Red Cross, knitting of sweaters and garments and
making jams and jellies for those men on the battleship Iowa.
Donations of money were made to the Red Cross War Relief Fund and
the Iowa Flag Fund.
March, 1918, Elizabeth Ross Chapter hosted the
state convention at the Hotel Ottumwa.
1920-1922 -- This time marked the beginning of
the Peace Program and the close of the WW I. The book Proud
Mahaska was placed in the Iowa collection and other books were
shipped to Piney Woods School.
1928 -- Mrs. Clarence Harper prepared a study
of American History as Reflected in Costumes. An exhibit
consisting of 13 dolls dressed in costumes like those worn by early
Americans and continuing through our country’s history, including
Civil War days was prepared. These were used at regular Chapter
meetings, as well as at the 13th annual state conference
at Des Moines. This collection grew to a total of 22 dolls.
1939-1946 -- World War II again had the
Daughters engaged in the salvaging campaign, saving the scrap iron,
tin cans, grease, rubber, paper and so forth. They also helped with
the U. S. O. with their activities.
Honored
Daughters
The following members have served on State and/or National level offices and committees.
Martha Fatherson Thrall was State Vice
Regent in 1918 and a member of the National Board. She was State
Historian 1919, 1920 and 1921. She helped compile the War Service
Records for Iowa DAR, which consisted of six volumes. These are
located in the State Historical Library in Des Moines and in the
Library of Memorial Continental Hall, Washington D. C. She was
State Chairman of the Americanization Committee in 1922-1923 and
held ten appointments on national committees. In 1911, she was a
member of the National Committee on Historical Research. In 1916
she served on the National Committee, Children of the American
Revolution. In 1920 she was a member of the National Committee on
Historical Research and Preservation of Records, serving again in
1922. Also in 1922, she served on the National Committee on
Patriotic Education; National Committee on Americanization; National
Committee on The Manual for Immigrants and Foreigners; National
Committee of Ellis Island. She was appointed to the same committees
the following year, serving as Vice Chairman of the National
Committee on Patriotic Education.
Myrtle D. Hunter was District Director
for the S.E. District and served on the State Literary Reciprocity
Committee for three years in the second decade of the twentieth
century.
Bertha Criley was State Director of CAR
in the 1920s.
Alice C. Mitchell, founder of Elizabeth
Ross Chapter, received her appointment as Organizing Regent from
Mrs. Clara Cively of Dubuque, Iowa. She led the discussion at the
meeting at Waterloo in 1901 to organize the Iowa Society of
Daughters of the American Revolution.
Mrs. Grace Heffelfinger, was State
Registrar in 1952-54.
Mrs. Mary L. Gruwell, was State
Treasurer, 1960-1962; State Organizing Secretary, 1962-1964; State
Vice Regent, 1968-1970; State Regent, 1970-1972; State chairman for
several committees; first State Chairman for DAR Service for Veteran
Patients organized in 1968; State Chairman of DAR Magazine.
Sarah Harrison Devin was a sister of
President Benjamin Harrison, a granddaughter of President Willian
Henry Harrison and great granddaughter of Benjamin Harrison and
Elizabeth Bassett, signer of the Declaration of Independence. She
was a great granddaughter of John Cleves Symmes, Supreme Court Judge
of Northwestern Territory and a Colonel of a Regiment in 1775. Her
name may be found in DAR Lineage Book No. 17489, Vol. 18, page 183.
Flora S. Ross was a descendant of
Colonel George Ross, one of the signers of the Declaration of
Independence.
Mrs. Lois Bakehouse served as State
Microfilm Chairman 1980-1982.
Shirley McCarty served as Iowa Society
DAR Registrar 2004-2006. Mrs. McCarty was elected State DAR
Chaplain to serve 2006-2008.
Mindy Beekman is the Iowa Newsletter
Chairman for 2006 - 2008.
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