In the year nineteen hundred and twenty-two, twenty-two women joined
together and organized the Redwood Forest Chapter DAR. Three of these
women were descendants of signers of the Declaration of Independence:
Abraham Clark, William Emery, and John Adams. Another woman was a
descendant of Otis Ensign, who fought with George Washington and spent the
winter with him in Valley Forge. He was also Sergeant of the Detail which
executed Major Andre, a British spy!
The three main objectives of the Daughters of the American Revolution are Historic Preservation, Promotion of Education, and Patriotic Endeavor. Over the years Redwood Forest Chapter has contributed much time, effort, and donations to its community in order to fulfill these objectives.
One of the ways DAR contributes to Historic Preservation is the placing of
markers. In 1924 Redwood Forest Chapter placed a marker at Fort Humboldt.
This was the third historical site to be marked in the State of California. The
bronze marker was placed on land that had been deeded to the chapter, which
was later deeded to the City of Eureka. Unfortunately, the marker was stolen
around 1930. Thinking that the thieves stole it for the value of the bronze, the
board members visited all the junkyards in the area in search of it. This coming
to naught, they voted to replace it in November of 1931. Another project that
the chapter has taken on concerning Fort Humboldt is the preservation of the
original flag flown over the fort. Please visit the projects section of our
web page to learn more about the restoration of Fort Humboldt's flag.
Another marker that has been placed by the chapter marked the "Indian Treaty Tree" at Korbel. This tree, which was noted as being leafless and not particularly beautiful, marked the boundary lines created between the valley and coast tribes and the mountain tribes of Native Americans in our area. It is said that those traveling the trail tied evergreen twigs to the tree to mark the peace between the tribes.
Another marker has been placed at the Carnegie Library in Eureka. This library was the first public library in the State of California freely open to any citizen. The library was opened in Eureka California. The original library was located in the upstairs rented rooms of the Jones Building in downtown Eureka. Later, it moved to the Carnegie Building several blocks east of it's original location. Several years ago, the citizens of Eureka decided to restore this historic building and open it to the public. The Carnegie Library Building has been since renamed the Morris Graves Museum of Art. Redwood Forest Chapter Daughters raised money to place plaque in front of the museum. located at 636 F St. in Eureka. The plaque was placed on October 27, 2001.
The second objective of the DAR is the Promotion of Education. Redwood Forest
Chapter contributes to this objective in many different ways. Every year we have
educational programs that discuss art, crafts, drama, literature, or music that
pertain to our American Heritage. The chapter also hosts programs that educate
our members and guests about our local Native Americans. Another way that
Redwood Forest Chapter contributes to the promotion of education is to support
DAR Good Citizens. DAR Good Citizens awards are presented to high school
seniors who have shown that they excel in dependability, service to others, leadership, and patriotism. Each award recipient is given a medal and a small
cash donation. Another award is given to grades 5, 6, 7 and 8 for the American
History Essay Contest. Every year a theme is assigned for the essays, and
students from different schools in the area are given a chance to submit their
best work. A special meeting is held to honor these young people where they
are presented with an award certificate and a medal.
The third objective of the DAR is to promote Patriotic Endeavor. The Redwood
Forest Chapter contributes to this objective in many different forms. Every
September a week is designated as Constitution Week. During this week the
chapter puts a display in the local library and a thrift shop called Tail Waggers.
The chapter also contributes gifts of food, games, or toiletries to different local
Veteran associations. A new Veterans clinic is being opened in the Eureka area
soon, and when it is the chapter's members will be happy to volunteer their time
to help.
Another way for the DAR to show their Patriotic Endeavor is to honor people who
fly flags. In the past people were honored at a special meeting with an award certificate. The chapter has also honored people for "The Correct Use
of the Flag." The first person who received this honor in 1924 was James
Dorace who, strangely enough, "was a direct descendant of Betsy Ross."
(Excerpt taken from the chapter's minutes.) The chapter also does its best to
give flags to local nonprofit organizations, the most recent donations
being to the Clark Museum in downtown Eureka.
Finally, the chapter is involved in Conservation. One of the ways that DAR
participates in conservation is to plant trees. The chapter has planted six trees
at Fort Humboldt, and for George Washington's 200th year birthday celebration
they assisted in helping the National Society Daughters of the American
Revolution by contributing to a nationwide effort to plant trees. The most
notable contribution that the chapter has made to conservation is the
preservation of Azalea Park. To learn more about Azalea Park, please visit the
past projects page.
Hopefully, this web page has provided some insight into the functions of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the role that the Redwood Forest Chapter plays within the it. Redwood Forest is also a member of the California State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Please feel free to view any of the other links that this web page has to offer and thank you for visiting our site.
