THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF THE COLONIAL DAMES OF AMERICA
Dames Discovery
Fall 2020 Volume 30, No. 2
63RD BIENNIAL COUNCIL
Dames Discovery Fall 2020, Volume 30, No. 2
Anna Duff President 2016-2020 Mimi M. Hurst Communications-Marketing Chair 2018-2020 Ellen Boomer Editor 2018-2020 Anna Duff Keith Gammon Mimi M. Hurst Marcy Moody Susan Walker Copy Editors Karen Daly Executive Director NSCDA National Headquarters
How to reach Dames Discovery: General inquiries damesdiscovery@gmail.com
Dames Discovery is published biannually. Next submission deadline is February 1, 2021.
Dames Discovery accepts submissions from Corporate Societies. NSCDA assumes no responsibility for statements made or opinions expressed by contributing writers and artists. NSCDA reserves the right to edit and place all content. 2
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63RD BIENNIAL COUNCIL Pages 9-14: Biennial 2020 Clarinda Pendleton Lamar Awards for Excellence Comprehensive Campaign Executive Committee Great American Treasures Legacy Circle Membership Roll of Honor Front cover photo captions on page 23
INSIDE 3 Message from Honorary President, Anna Duff 4 Calendar 4 In Memoriam 4 Editor’s Note 8 Ancestor’s Almanac / Pocahontas: Native Ambassador 15 From the Archives / Dames in Patriotic Service 18 Gunston Hall / Challenge Brings Opportunity 18 Sulgrave Manor / A Year of Transformation 19 Dumbarton House / Transcending Crises 22 History Highlights / The Witches of Early America 23 Journeys / Dames Style
FEATURES 5 6 7 16 17
Georgia Society / The Legacy of Juliette Gordon Low Texas Society / If These Walls Could Talk California Society / Through History’s Lens Tennessee Society / Empowering Voices: Anne Dallas Dudley Illinois Society / Bishop Ford Saved Clarke House
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS Pages 20-21: Arizona Society Colorado Society Indiana Society Iowa Society Kansas Society Membership Committee: Bows National Historian/Archivist South Carolina Society Virginia Society Washington Society West Virginia Society Wisconsin Society
DAMES: DEDICATED AND DETERMINED Dear Dames, During this unprecedented year, we have experienced turbulent times with a global pandemic, economic downturn, social unrest, flooding, hurricanes and devastating fires, but we have kept moving forward with plans, ideas and opportunities to help shape our Society and our nation. Our inspiration comes from our predecessors who faced many uphill challenges, including the Spanish Flu pandemic, two World Wars and the Great Depression. We are determined to ensure the work of the Society continues to move forward. Earlier this year, we received a six-figure leadership gift from a donor to the NSCDA Comprehensive Campaign which showed great hope, courage and optimism for the future of our work as an organization. We have raised a million dollars toward our $10 million goal since March and remain just under 10% short of that goal. Let’s finish strong and achieve our goal - together! Great American Treasures (GAT), a new way of telling America’s story and our gift to the Dames and the nation, was launched in May. This endeavor would not be possible without your contributions to our NSCDA Comprehensive Campaign. GAT is our “baby” and like any infant, requires nurturing to grow and thrive. We are all responsible for ensuring this nascent initiative reaches its potential. Greater membership engagement is one of our strategic goals, and we continue to think of ways to keep our Dames’ community together. This year’s Biennial was historic in many ways; it gave us the ability to reach more members and create more learning opportunities. Who could have imagined that more than 850 members would register for the educational and business sessions, more than three times as many members that typically attend Biennial? Although the NSCDA travel program paused in March, we have not stopped dreaming of future trips together. Our travel partner, Connoisseurs Tours, created “Evenings with the Experts” which attracted over 1,000 Dames and guests for virtual lectures. I have so many fond memories of visiting your Corporate Societies and Town Committees to celebrate your milestone anniversary celebrations and other special events. While I was disappointed that I could not continue my visits last spring, I cherish the memories from these
visits, especially the small dinners where we had the opportunity to get to know each other. Thank you for your wonderful Dames’ hospitality! The connections we make through the Dames mean so much to us, and although it is disappointing we have not been able to meet in person, I am most grateful we have embodied true Dames’ spirit by adapting to a new way of connecting to advance our Society’s business. Conducting virtual meetings and providing engaging online programming has kept us united throughout this challenging time. Our members are our lifeblood; we cannot do anything without your support and participation. Going forward, patriotic philanthropy will be as important as ever to ensure our organization continues to thrive. Our culture of philanthropy is alive and well. As the NSCDA enters a new chapter with different leadership, I want to recognize our Executive Director of National Headquarters - Dumbarton House, Karen Daly, for her many accomplishments during her 17 years with the Dames. Working closely with Karen for eight years during my tenure as Vice President, National Headquarters - Dumbarton House and as your National President was a true pleasure. While we will miss Karen, I know you join me in wishing her well in her new endeavor as President of Stratford Hall. This esteemed historic site is very fortunate to have her at the helm. It has truly been an honor, a privilege, and a great pleasure to serve as your National President. I am most grateful to the leadership team of the past four years for their commitment to the work of this Society and thank them for their efforts on behalf of our beloved organization. Though I shall miss serving as your President, I am so excited for the future of our Society. Your newly elected National Officers are a talented, dedicated team who are working together on achieving our strategic goals. I wish them the best and hope that as they serve our Society, their accomplishments and special memories will be many. Fondly,
NSCDA President, 2016-2020 Honorary President Dames Discovery | Fall 2020
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2021
CALENDAR (dates may be subject to change)
MARCH 23-24 Audit & Finance Committee Meeting Washington, DC 24-26 Dumbarton House Board Meeting Washington, DC 26-28 Gunston Hall Meeting Mason Neck, VA APRIL 5-7 Women in Preservation Symposium Washington, DC MAY 29
Dames Day at Sulgrave Manor – Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the opening of Sulgrave Manor to the public
SEPTEMBER 27-28 Audit & Finance Committee Meeting Washington, DC 29-30 Dumbarton House Board Meeting Washington, DC OCTOBER 1 Dumbarton House Board Meeting Washington, DC 1-3 Gunston Hall Meeting Mason Neck, VA 19-21 Friends of Sulgrave Manor St. Louis, MO 22-24 Annual Meeting and National Board Meeting St. Louis, MO
IN MEMORIAM MA-3493A WA-255
Janet Barker Footh (Mrs. Douglas Lloyd)
May 25, 1932 - March 31, 2020 Washington Society President 1997-1999 50-year member Ancestor: John Howland (c.1592-23 Feb 1673) MA NJ-1830
Ada Wheaton Anderson Strasenburgh (Mrs. John Beaver) April 29, 1923 - May 14, 2020
New Jersey Society President 1981-1983 Roll of Honor 1989 Ancestor: Thomas Harris (1710-1783) NJ CT-2388A MO-886
Donna O’Connor Riley Hearne (Mrs. Mark F.) April 16, 1940 - June 23, 2020
Missouri Society President 2009-2015 Roll of Honor 2016 Ancestor: James Avery (1620-1700) CT SC-1138
Langhorne “Lanny” Lewis Tuller Webster (Mrs. William M., III) December 24, 1933 - May 28, 2020
South Carolina Society President 2003-2007 South Carolina Society Honorary President 2007 Roll of Honor 2007 50-year member Ancestor: William Langhorne (1720-1797) VA
Correction: In the spring 2020 Dames Dispatch, an article on Former First Lady Helen Herron Taft mistakenly referred to her husband as "Howard Taft," rather than by his correct name, William Howard Taft.
EDITOR’S NOTE Welcome to your new Dames Discovery magazine! The new name marks the next era of this publication: a fresh look and expanded length but with many familiar aspects of the newsletter, such as a letter from our National President, news from many Corporate Societies and museum houses and lots of pictures as well as dedicated sections including “Features,” “Ancestor’s Almanac” and “From the Archives.” This publication is centered around a theme; this issue’s inspiration is a quote by Georgia Dame, Juliette Gordon Low: “The work of today is the history of tomorrow, and we are its makers.” The articles in this issue speak directly to this guiding quote, reminding us of the selfless women and men who believed in
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a cause, impacted their communities and continue to shape the history of tomorrow. While this is the first issue of the Dames Discovery, it’s my last as Editor. I want to thank Lee Scott for starting the Dames Dispatch newsletter more than 30 years ago. This new magazine is a result of steadfast support from outgoing Communications-Marketing Committee Chair, Mimi Hurst, and enthusiastic engagement from the incoming editor, Sonya Wolsey-Paige. Sonya and I collaborated on this issue, and I’m thrilled to leave this publication in her very capable, creative hands.
Ellen Boomer
The Legacy of Juliette Gordon Low Georgia Society by REBECCA EDDINS
Executive Director, the Andrew Low House Museum
The work of today is the history of tomorrow, and we are its makers. - Juliette Gordon Low
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ver a century ago, before women had the right to vote, Georgia Dame Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girl Scouts in the United States, which became part of a worldwide organization, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. Encouraging girls to embrace their intellect, athleticism and individuality was, at the time, a radical idea. Like so many Dames, Juliette was famous for her resolve and determination. She did not let obstacles (including her significant hearing impairment) stand in her way.
Juliette Gordon Low Portrait by Edward Hughes, 1887, National Portrait Gallery
Juliette descended from a long line of strong, independent women. Her mother, Eleanor “Nellie” Kinzie Gordon, was the Georgia Society’s first president and one of 28 charter members in 1893. No doubt Juliette was greatly influenced by her mother’s love of country and encouragement of civic engagement. During the Spanish-American War, Nellie Gordon traveled to Miami, Florida where her husband’s brigade was stationed. Together with her daughter, Juliette, they commandeered and outfitted a vacant building to use as a convalescent home for soldiers who had been discharged from the hospital but were too sick to return to duty. With characteristic ingenuity, they bought cots and mosquito nets, secured a physician, ordered daily ice delivery and bought large supplies of food. Their unfailing resourcefulness helped countless soldiers recover and return to the field for duty or return home. During World War I, Juliette traveled back and forth between England and the United States, volunteering in the war effort and actively keeping the Girl Scouts organization running. During this time the organization focused on planting victory gardens, assisting in soup kitchens and selling war bonds. When the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic hit, Juliette encouraged girls to help in ways that used their newly acquired scouting skills. Trained in first aid and basic nursing, Girl Scouts made vital contributions by providing food and supplies to the sick, and in some cases, taking care of patients who had fallen ill. At the Andrew Low House Museum in Savannah, where Juliette lived at the beginning of her marriage to Andrew Low’s son and for several years before she died, her words and her tenacity continue to ring true, especially over the last several months. As COVID-19 became a reality for Savannah, the Andrew Low House Museum faced a prolonged closure of the museum and the associated loss of revenue; in a typical year, the museum welcomes over 100,000 visitors. Their doors closed on March 18th. On June 1st, the museum reopened to a very different way of operating amidst the continuing pandemic. In these challenging times, Juliette’s words resonate and her actions inspire all Dames to do their best in the face of adversity. Girl Scouts in Savannah, GA, first-aid training, 1917
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If These Walls Could Talk Texas Society
by ROWENA DASCH
Executive Director, Neill-Cochran House Museum
T
his year, the Neill-Cochran House Museum (NCHM) in Austin, TX (headquarters of the NSCDA-TX) has been engaged in a project significant in scope and impact, If These Walls Could Talk. This show places trompe l’oeil contemporary porcelain sculptures by visual artist Ginger Geyer throughout the museum’s historic spaces to disrupt those spaces and to question dominant historic house museum narratives, particularly those related to race and equity. If These Walls Could Talk was scheduled to close on May 3, 2020. However, after the museum closed on March 15th due to COVID-19, the leadership team quickly agreed to extend the show into the summer. Though the decision was predicated on COVID-19, the extension placed the NCHM and If These Walls Could Talk in a position to provide leadership, education and the opportunity for conversation about racial reckoning and culture in Austin. The Neill-Cochran team already had been working to translate a sold-out bus tour of Black Central West Austin (the neighborhood and areas just to the museum’s south and west) to a self-paced driving tour for the Juneteenth (Friday, June 19th) weekend. By mid-June, it was clear this offering would be one of the few opportunities in Austin to get out and do something in person (rather than
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virtually) in celebration and commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved Black people. The museum visitors’ responses were powerful. One woman (white, late 20s) said that she had lived in Clarksville (one of Austin’s original Freedman communities, and on the tour) and now lives in East Austin (the area of town to which people of color were coerced to move in the wake of the segregationist 1928 City Plan). Her employer gave everyone Juneteenth off and she registered for the tour because she didn’t want that day to be “just another day off”—she wanted to learn something. A young girl (white, 8 years old) told her mother she learned more on the tour than she ever had in school. A grandmother (Black, 60s, with her grandson) choked up more than once while watching the orientation film and then walking through the slave quarters—she loved what the museum was doing and that she could share Black history with her grandson, both on-site and through the tour. This event and related exhibitions are part of a longer-term plan to reinterpret the museum’s Dependency, the antebellum slave quarters and workhouse, to more fully reflect its historical significance. Ginger Geyer, artist (left), and Jennifer Rousseau Cumberbatch, actor (right), were instrumental in If These Walls Could Talk
Through History’s Lens California Society
by SARAH TORNEY
C
“The Great Quake” on alifornia Dame April 18, 1906. He was Sarah Torney able to continue shooting connected San for days after, documenting Francisco’s past and the path of destruction present through the lens caused by the fires. of her family’s history. In April 1906, San Sarah was inspired to Francisco was hit with a recreate a “then-and-now’’ 7.9-magnitude earthquake. photo montage, capturing Sarah’s great-grandfather, Edward Torney and Sarah Torney the same locations and Edward Torney, took photos throughout the city, documenting the devastating effects street corners her great-grandfather had photographed. of the quake. One hundred fourteen years after the quake, Not only has San Francisco's shelter-in-place mandate the pandemic had devastating effects on San Francisco and emptied the streets of many cars and people, similar to its residents. To recognize the remarkable efforts to keep the impact of the fires, but the timing was also significant. the city going through the pandemic, Sarah, who’s part Sarah completed this project 114 years to the month since of Google’s marketing team, recreated her grandfather’s the 1906 earthquake. photo series and juxtaposed his photos from 1906 with her photos from this year. This project kept her creativity Some things have clearly changed; new, modern buildings flowing during the early days of sheltering in place due to have replaced many that stood in the early twentieth century. The aftermath of the 1906 earthquake juxtaposed the pandemic. against the ghost town that is downtown San Francisco Sarah is a fifth-generation San Franciscan and fourteenth- amid the current health crisis is startling. generation American. In sifting through old family photos recently, she discovered a series of photos her great- This personal project became a fascinating history grandfather took in the days after the 1906 San Francisco lesson on San Francisco—and better yet, it helped Sarah earthquake. Her great-grandfather, Edward “Ned” discover family photos and stories that she will be able to Johnston Torney Sr., hit the streets with his camera to remember and share for generations. document the devastation caused by fires following the
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Pocahontas: Native Ambassador
Ancestor’s Almanac / by GAY PASLEY, Virginia Society and descendant of Pocahontas
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n 2007, our country marked the 400th anniversary of the first permanent English settlement in 1607. One woman, Pocahontas, a Native American princess, was among the first to welcome the settlers. Despite her short life (15961617), she left an impression well beyond these 400 years. To leave such an impression is remarkable, considering “none of her thoughts or feelings were ever recorded.”
The walls on the east side of the U.S. Capitol Rotunda are decorated with eight monumental oil paintings that, together, depict the early history of our nation’s founding. One of these paintings, the “Baptism of Pocahontas,” shows the significance of the 1613 religious event to the founding of this nation. The English saw the conversion of Native Americans to Christianity as the ultimate justification for their subjugation. One official English publication noted Pocahontas’ baptism as “the blessing of Christianity among heathen savages.” Unfortunately, the English never acknowledged their eventual destruction of over 90 percent of Pocahontas’ Algonquin people over the next half century. Why did this Indian princess fascinate the English invaders? Pocahontas showed a deep interest in the English and played an increasingly critical role of Native ambassador to the first permanent English settlement in America. Since 1607, Americans and English have held many memorial celebrations of the founding of Jamestown, the restoration of the Jamestown Fort, the marriage of Pocahontas and John Rolfe, and her much celebrated trip to England as an ambassador of her Native people. Tragically, she died on this trip at the age of 21, in 1617, leaving her son, Thomas, as her only heir. He grew up in England, but, when he returned to Virginia, he continued to try to improve the relations between his mother’s people and the colonists. In 1619, Pocahontas’ widower, John Rolfe, became a representative to the colony’s first General Assembly. To have died so young was a sad loss for both her Native people and Jamestown, but Pocahontas was a remarkable woman, and her accomplishments extend well beyond her lifetime. As the Reverend Ben Campbell wrote in his book, Richmond’s Unhealed History, “She lived the first two-thirds of her life in the language, religion, and culture of the Algonquins and the last third in the language, religion, and culture of the English.” She was regarded with great respect for her commitment to her role as an ambassador of both nations. Photo credit: Architect of the Capitol 8
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BIENNIAL 2020
wish we could all be together, but we understand our work goes on in different and still important ways. One hundred years from now our history will show that in the midst of a pandemic of 2020 we launched Great American Treasures, met virtually with 850 women, reopened Dumbarton House to visitors and supported many projects around the country.
The 63rd Biennial Council was unlike any other in the 129-year history of the Dames. While the pandemic kept us from catching up with our fellow Dames in person, we remained connected through our common mission, our curiosity about various topics and our commitment to our ever-evolving organization. The 15 educational sessions enabled nearly 900 Dames across the country to learn about a variety of topics, including DNA research, samplers and broadened narratives at house museums. Keynote speaker and philanthropist David Rubenstein shared his concept of “patriotic philanthropy,” and Professor Richard Bell, who spoke during the ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, encouraged us to challenge our beliefs about historical figures to better understand the complicated truths about these complex people. The highlight of Biennial weekend was the transition of our Executive Committee (more information on page 14), including a new National President, Katherine Grainger Taylor Cammack. Former President Marcy Moody (20122016) and outgoing President Anna Duff (2016-2020) welcomed Katherine during an in-person installation ceremony in Florida. During her heartfelt speech, Katherine reflected, “We are an organization of strong, talented and selfless women. I stand on the shoulders of all the ladies that came before me, in this position, and across the National Society.” Katherine thanked her family and her many mentors, including former National Presidents Hilary Gripekoven, Stuart Cobb, Marcy Moody and Anna Duff, who taught her graciousness, generosity and the value of participation. “...these ladies have enriched my life and they changed the course of my Dames experience. The difference each of you can make on another member’s experience with the Dames is profound.” During the Arlington ceremony, Katherine spoke about this year’s challenges and reminded Dames of our resilience: We all have struggled during this year: with the global pandemic; a period of national civil unrest; and many in our country struggling to make ends meet; but once again, so many Americans have unconditionally stepped forward with an untold number of heroic deeds and duties, working the front lines and sacrificing the health and safety of their families, for the good of our country. We
Our virtual Biennial showed the Dames’ determination in the face of adversity and our commitment to coming together every year - no matter the obstacles.
Biennial by the Numbers 15 educational sessions 891 registrations Average of
251 at each event during Biennial weekend 1,003 total attendance
Average of 198 at each educational session 2,971 total attendance
Virginia Stuart Cobb First Recipient of the NSCDA Award for Generosity and Purpose The recognition of Stuart Cobb as the first recipient of the NSCDA Award for Generosity and Purpose was a fabulous highlight during Biennial weekend. Stuart was recognized for her generosity of spirit and philanthropic leadership that she shares with the Dames and her community of Little Rock, Arkansas; her vision for the future of the NSCDA; and her devotion to our organization. Stuart is an Honorary President of the Dames, the Honorary Chair of the NSCDA Comprehensive Campaign, and the sole contributor of the lead gift for the campaign. Thank you, Stuart, for your generosity and leadership in supporting the Dames’ mission!
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Roll of Honor: Celebrating Our History Makers by MARY HALLOCK FIELDS, Roll of Honor Chair Announcing our 2020 Roll of Honor recipients: 48 Dames from 28 states have been nominated by their states to receive NSCDA’s highest honor. While the NSCDA Board defines our vision, it is the members who put their sustained energies into making these goals attainable. Each Society is a vital part of the NSCDA, and giving the Roll of Honor to a deserving member inspires us all to be part of this team. (2019 Roll of Honor receipients were listed in the fall 2019 Dames Dispatch and in the 63rd Biennial Roll of Honor booklet.) In 1941, for the fiftieth anniversary celebration of NSCDA’s founding, members were asked to donate to honor the founders and the leadership. With these donations, the Golden Jubilee Fund was established and invested for the benefit of Gunston Hall and Dumbarton House Museum. In 2018, the NSCDA National Board voted to dissolve the Golden Jubilee Fund and give half the balance to Gunston Hall. The remainder established the Golden Jubilee II Fund which solely benefits the NSCDA Headquarters - Dumbarton House. All Roll of Honor donations now go to this fund. During the following years, the Roll of Honor evolved as a way for Corporate Societies to recognize their own deserving members, who have gone “above and beyond” with their exemplary and sustained dedication to the NSCDA and its mission. Each recipient receives a lovely certificate and is eligible to wear the special Roll of Honor pin. Her name is beautifully embossed in a blue leather book, kept at Dumbarton House and put on display at each Biennial Council. Each state was asked to send a worthy donation in her honor; donations averaged $25-$50 until 1965 when the expected donation was set at $100. It has remained at that level for 55 years, but in the years ahead, a more significant donation minimum will be considered to reflect the Dames’ sustained dedication and hard work as well as the importance of this award. To further underscore this honor’s significance, the nomination form now asks for a thoughtful proposal letter describing the nominee’s service and overall dedication to the NSCDA; these forms and letters will be saved in the archives for future reference. Additional information is available on the NSCDA website. How the Roll of Honor is defined and preserved is key to the legacy of the NSCDA. ARKANSAS Anne Elizabeth Orsi ALABAMA Shirley Winona Dowling McCrary ARIZONA Cynthia Weyand Gray Cobb CALIFORNIA Nancy Ann Corbin Assaf Ruth Donohugh Caroline Chickering Fish Margaret Hamilton Love Martin COLORADO Carolyn Ann Fellows Moore DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Ellen Macbeth Boomer DELAWARE Sarah Ann Crittenden D’Alonzo FLORIDA Elizabeth Wight Edmunds Grinnan Monett Powers Kent GEORGIA Leslie McDonald Hunter Hudson HAWAII Margaret Elvie Brown Armstrong IOWA Kristine Marie Bartley
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ILLINOIS Claudia Stewart Lane Winifred Haven Date Hayes Sonya Merchant Wolsey-Paige INDIANA Marjory Alig Bates KANSAS Mary Prohodsky Shepherd MARYLAND Laura Bridget West-Birely Kathryn Leigh McIntosh Zabriskie MAINE Carrie Mae Swanton Robinson MICHIGAN Elizabeth Spalding Buell McCormick MINNESOTA Adrienne Louise Stork Morrison Lois Irene Abromitis NORTH CAROLINA Sara Moss McCowen Larkin NEBRASKA Frederika Marie ver Hulst Cristy Elizabeth Clarke Hedgpeth NEW HAMPSHIRE Nancy Horner Borden Susan Bonnet Milne Haydock Mary Staples Peters Waples
NEVADA Margaret Preston Hill Hilton NEW YORK Mary Patricia Curran Naud PENNSYLVANIA Genevieve Mieville Ebbert Barbara May Baird Rogers Elizabeth Anne Teti SOUTH CAROLINA Renee Helene LaHue Marshall Caroline Gaston Hawkins Dargon Florence Marianna Thomson MacIntyre TENNESSEE Joan Edythe Dring Campbell Alice Ruffin Swords Whitson TEXAS Katharine Louise Blair Margaret Middleton White Gooch Susan Corbit Spruance Mollie Folkes Steves Zachery WEST VIRGINA Katharine Bullard Becker WYOMING Mary Christine Love
Clarinda Pendleton Lamar Awards for Excellence The Clarinda Pendleton Lamar Awards for Excellence were created to honor the legacy of the late Clarinda Pendleton Lamar, National Society President (1914-1927), to highlight exceptional projects and services of the Corporate Societies in the areas of Historical Activities, Museum Alliance and Patriotic Service, and to learn and be inspired by these positive accomplishments. The criteria for judging projects submitted include: support of the NSCDA Mission, impact on the Society and/or its local communities, potential for replication in other locations, accomplishments and impact overall, and bonus points for well written and presented materials. Judges for these awards were the Chairs and ViceChairs of the Historical Activities, Museum Alliance and Patriotic Service Committees (for their respective projects) and President Anna Duff and Honorary President Marcy Moody served for all three project areas. Barbara Linville, Chair of the National Historical Activities Committee, presented the Clarinda Pendleton Lamar Award for Excellence to the following Corporate Societies:
Katherine Cammack, Chair of the National Museum Alliance, presented the Clarinda Pendleton Lamar Award for Excellence to the following Corporate Societies:
Julie Lineberry, Chair of the National Patriotic Service Committee, presented the Clarinda Pendleton Lamar Award for Excellence to the following Corporate Societies:
Tennessee Society: Redesign Portrait Web Site Portal at tnportraits.org
South Carolina Society: Powder Magazine 2nd Cup Conversations
Georgia Society: Marietta Town Committee Homeward Bound for Cobb Veterans
Wyoming Society Mandel Cabin School Curriculum
Texas Society: Neill-Cochran House Museum If These Walls Could Talk
Indiana Society Sleeping Mats for Homeless Vets
Legacy Circle LIZ FORMAN, Legacy Circle Chair 2018-2020 The work of tomorrow is assured by careful planning today. Estate planning is a critical part of planning for the future. The NSCDA and its GAT initiative have done so much to tell the stories of early America. As members, we have done a great job of supporting our Society and our Comprehensive Campaign, but there’s so much more we can do to ensure the NSCDA’s projects can continue to tell our stories long after we are gone.
We must continue to tell the stories of our country’s history - stories so important that we hear them echoed throughout the musical, Hamilton. “Who lives? Who dies? Who tells your story?” A heartfelt welcome to the newest members of the Legacy Circle: Mrs. Edward Grew, Mona-Tate W. Powell, Mim Sellgren, Karen Stetler and Linda Kay Vandenberg. Kindly visit the “Members” section of nscda.org to learn how to join the Legacy Circle. Dames Discovery | Fall 2020
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Celebrate
OUR HISTORY
Inspire
OUR FUTURE!
O U R C O M P R E H E N S I V E C A M PA I G N
Great American Treasures is HERE! by KATHERINE CAMMACK, National Museum Alliance Committee Chair and CATHERINE NUZUM, Curator of Special Projects for the NSCDA
In 2019, when we began eyeing spring/summer 2020 as the right time to launch Great American Treasures (GAT), we never could have imagined that the world would be reeling from a global health crisis. As the target date approached, we kept to our plan in the hopes that this initiative could provide something of a bright spot during an uncertain and unprecedented time. So on May 22nd, after much anticipation, www.greatamericantreasures.org was launched for all to enjoy. How exciting it was to see the number of page views rise to over 400 that first day! Within the first week, the new website was viewed nearly 2,000 times. The launch of the website was planned in conjunction with the release of the June edition of Southern Living magazine, where GAT was featured in the popular Travel Planner section (the ad ran a second time in the August issue and will run a third time in the combined December/January issue). Due to the pandemic, travel to our special destinations wasn’t an option, but that didn’t stop subscribers from exploring our website—a virtual destination in and of itself. Over 1,000 subscribers requested and were sent a beautiful, new brochure full of information about GAT. The sustained excitement around this carefully cultivated NSCDA project has been reassuring and inspiring to witness. We send out heartfelt thanks to every Dame who visited the website, liked a Facebook post, sent a congratulatory message or in any way spread awareness about Great American Treasures. The Great American Treasures Museum Alliance and the Museum Alliance Grant Fund would not be possible without the generous donations from Dames around the country who have supported these initiatives with pledges and contributions to the Comprehensive Campaign. Thank you all for promoting the legacy and mission of the NSCDA!
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Generosity
Purpose
O U R C O M P R E H E N S I V E C A M PA I G N A Legacy of Generosity
Supporting Our Mission
In 1793 as President Washington was completing his fourth year in office, Yellow Fever hit Philadelphia and the government had to retreat to safer places for the summers of ’93,’94 and ’95. The government survived and flourished.
As we enter the completion phase of our $10 million NSCDA Comprehensive Campaign, we remember and honor the Dames who came before us and their generosity which has funded our mission for over 129 years. Their accomplishments are remarkable! Just like the Dames of the past, you are continuing our culture of philanthropy and are strengthening our mission for the 21st century in three key areas, “Our Society, Our Home, and Our Legacy,” through your gifts to the Comprehensive Campaign.
Almost 100 years later in 1891, our NSCDA founders established one of the largest and most successful preservation societies in our country. I am extremely proud of the risks they took in preserving the materials and properties of our Founding Fathers and Mothers which were in danger of being lost. In the next four decades they raised enough money to build monuments, buy and refurbish a Headquarter - Dumbarton House, and establish an endowment for Sulgrave Manor. The Corporate Societies were also saving remarkable properties all over the country. These women left us a legacy of using our resources and talents to educate others about the values that made our republic the treasure it is. This culture of philanthropy goes on today! Thank you for your wonderful support of the NSCDA Comprehensive Campaign which enables us to fulfill our mission. Many of you have “taken a risk” to stretch the amount of your gift or pledges. Our founders would be proud we are carrying on this legacy with such dedication! With much gratitude! Stuart Cobb Honorary Campaign Chair National NSCDA President 2004-2008
Over $9 million!
Through your generosity, we have funded Great American Treasures, our nationally recognized alliance of Museum Properties; provided support for Patriotic Service and Historical Activities projects; and increased the training and support of our Corporate Society and National leaders. Through your generosity, our 200-year-old National Headquarters and museum, Dumbarton House, will continue to be the national symbol of the values and mission of the NSCDA, serving as an example and resource for best practices in preservation, education and collections management for our Corporate Societies and the public. Through your generosity, we are providing for our legacy through the Dumbarton Fund for the Future and the Museum Grant Fund. If you have not given to the Comprehensive Campaign, please consider making a gift, or even if you have, please consider making an additional gift to help us reach and exceed our goal of $10 million. Through your gifts, the Dames will continue to have a national impact as a Society that is well-funded and mission-driven. Gratefully, Edith Stickney NSCDA Comprehensive Campaign Chair
This Is Our Time to Support Our Mission! Contact CamilleWeber@nscda.org to give to the Comprehensive Campaign or go to https://nscda.org/campaign/
The Campaign ends at midnight December 31, 2020
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NSCDA Ad Hoc Membership Committee by CAROLINE GOEDHART, Ad Hoc Membership Committee Chair At the request of the NSCDA Executive Committee, National President Anna Duff formed an Ad Hoc Membership Committee. The purpose of the task force was to develop a detailed plan with steps/ recommendations on how to attract more members to the NSCDA with a specific focus in the following areas: • Age demographics: 21 - 35 and 36 - 55. • Re-examination of NSCDA’s membership process and how any friends/ affiliates/ auxiliary groups work; explore the pros and cons of additional categories of participation in the individual Societies, such as Associate Members. • Consideration of prospective members seeking membership in a state where no Corporate Society exists.
The following members served on the committee: Caroline Goedhart (Chair), Mary Bradley, Molly Carey, Margaret Hamilton, Holly Hunt, Mary Mundy, Caroline Rochford, Mary Turner and Caro Williams. The following members served as advisors: Sandi Atkinson, Lucy Bell, Stuart Cobb, Gail Faraday, Keith Gammon and Lisa Liles. The Ad Hoc Committee has been busy over the last few months gathering data to better understand our member recruitment, engagement and retention. During this first phase the committee identified seven key problem areas: 1. The application process is difficult and inconsistent. 2. We need to clarify how we are relevant in the 21st century/ our perception in the community. 3. We, as individuals and
individual Corporate Societies, are not good about talking about what we do externally beyond marketing for our museum houses. 4. Individual society membership committees may be nonfunctioning or nonexistent. 5. We need additional members. 6. Corporate Societies need the ability to change based on new/ different membership needs. 7. We need to clarify the role National plays to help Corporate Societies. Our next step is to develop solutions in these areas. We will provide an update to the National Board at our annual meeting. If you have comments or questions please email Caroline Goedhart or reach out directly to any of our committee members.
NSCDA Executive Committee 2020-2022 President KATHERINE GRAINGER TAYLOR CAMMACK North Carolina Vice President, National Headquarters - Dumbarton House JANE H. BOYLIN West Virginia Vice President Residing in Region II MONA-TATE W. POWELL Kentucky Vice President Residing in Region IV ELLEN MACBETH BOOMER District of Columbia
Recording Secretary MARY H. MUNDY South Carolina Corresponding Secretary SUSAN W. WALKER Tennessee Treasurer ELIZABETH M. HAGOPIAN Massachusetts Assistant Treasurer ROSALIE LANGE Indiana
Vice President Residing in Region III MIMI M. HURST Arkansas
Registrar MARY L. “MEEPSIE” DOUGHERTY Texas
Vice President Residing in Region I CARO THOMAS WILLIAMS Colorado
Historian SALLY F. CONNELLY Ohio
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Dames in Patriotic Service From the Archives / by JUDY STOVER, District of Columbia Society
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hile the NSCDA is known for its great interest in colonial history, restoring historic houses as museums and teaching our past to present and future generations, Dames have also supported the armed forces in various ways. When America has needed help from its citizens, Dames stood tall and ready to serve.
The original NSCDA covenant includes the directive that there should be a “National Relief Association with power to form branches in every Corporate Society whose duties shall be to co-operate earnestly in all measures to provide necessaries and comforts for our army and navy in time of war, or for the sufferers in any great national disaster.” The NSCDA has lived up to this duty during all wars that our nation has been involved in since the Dames’ founding in 1891: the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, Korean War, Vietnam War and the wars in the Middle East. Through donations and fundraising events, Dames raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the American Red Cross. The Dames are not only fundraisers. Since 1898 Dames have aided the Navy by equipping operating rooms on various hospital ships, including the Solace during the Spanish-American War and the ships Mercy and Comfort during World War I. (Pictured.) In World War II the Dames gave recreational items to the USS Gunston Hall. In addition to helping to equip hospital ships, the Dames created recreational centers for the USO in Ketchikan, Alaska. Over 100,000 men and women used this center during World War II alone. These centers, which the Dames have supported since World War II, are places of comfort, relief and rest for the difficult transition from the battlefield to civilian life. Each Corporate Society has pitched in to support the troops. Whether Dames are rolling bandages, sewing uniforms, making blankets, Doctors aboard USS Mercy doing clerical work, driving or even donating cars, we have made a positive impact in supporting our military. The NSCDA archive contains a chart of the thousands of socks, sweaters, hats, mittens and scarves that each Corporate Society knitted to support the troops during World War I.
During World War II, Dumbarton House was turned over to the Red Cross for offices, classes and beds. Dames worked alongside the Red Cross volunteers and staff. During the Vietnam War, the Red Cross asked the Dames to make “ditty bags” for the wounded. They contained personal items like a toothbrush and paste, razor, a comb and even a couple of precious chocolate bars. Some Corporate Societies continue to make these ditty bags for service personnel today. As recently as 2012, the Red Cross used Dumbarton House for blood drives and various events. (See picture page 19.) While President of the NSCDA during World War II, Mrs. Hutchinson proudly said at the end of one of her rousing letters: “THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A DAME!”
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Empowering Voices: Anne Dallas Dudley Tennessee Society by SANDI ATKINSON, Former National Membership Committee Chair
I have never yet met a man or woman who denied that taxation without representation is tyranny. I have never yet seen one who was such a traitor to our form of government that he did not believe that the government rests upon the consent of the governed. This is a government of, for, and by the people, and only the law denies that women are people. - Anne Dallas Dudley
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nne Dallas Dudley (Mrs. Guilford) was a Tennessee Dame active in civic affairs. She was born Annie Willis Dallas in Nashville to a distinguished family. Her great-uncle, George M. Dallas, served as Vice President of the United States under James K. Polk. A few years after her marriage, she became involved in the temperance movement as a supporter of alcohol prohibition. Through her work in the temperance movement, she became convinced that a woman’s place in society could only be improved if women were allowed to vote. In September 1911 she and several of her friends met in the back parlor of the Tulane Hotel and founded the Nashville Equal Suffrage League, an organization dedicated to building local support for women’s suffrage while “quietly and earnestly avoiding militant methods.” With her as president, the league organized and led giant May Day suffrage parades. Even her children participated. She helped bring the National Suffrage Convention to Nashville 1914 and is noted for her successful efforts to get the 19th Amendment ratified in Tennessee, the final state necessary to bring the amendment into force.
Women campaigning for equal voting rights in Chattanooga in 1912 Photo credit: Tennessee Encyclopedia 16
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Women’s suffrage ratification in the Tennessee Senate chamber Photo credit: Nashville Tennessean
Bishop Ford Saved Clarke House Illinois Society by JEAN PERKINS
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n 1977 the City of Chicago purchased Clarke House with the understanding that Illinois Dames would help furnish it as a museum. Situated in the Prairie Avenue Historic District, Clarke House is Chicago’s oldest house, built in 1836. Its restoration and preservation stand as a testament to the energy and civic leadership of Bishop Louis Henry Ford, founder of the St. Paul Church of God in Christ. How has it managed to survive the ravages of time and two moves? The Clarkes built it and were succeeded by the Chrimeses, but the home’s third owner, charismatic Black preacher Bishop Ford, ensured its preservation. He bought the house from the Chrimes’ granddaughters in 1941 after the City had refused to do so. Adding his own money to donations from members of his congregation, Ford oversaw repair and replacement of the roof, stairs, cupola and other elements. He refused offers to redevelop the land. The house and its history meant a great deal to Ford. He held annual birthday celebrations with tours and programs that included discussion of its historical and architectural significance. “We will continue to fight off demands to tear down this building because we feel it deserves a place in Chicago on an equal footing with the Water Tower,” he said at the 126th birthday party. Besides serving as his family’s home and providing office and meeting space for the church and for organizations such as the Urban League, the house provided a tangible example of Black civic leadership. Ford said, “So many people think the Black community is supposed to destroy
everything . . . Here we have preserved the oldest house. This is our message.” Under his leadership Clarke House was designated a Chicago Landmark (one of the first two buildings so named) and added to the National Register. Ford arrived in Chicago from Mississippi in 1933 at age 19 and began preaching on street corners. Three years later he founded the St. Paul Church of God in Christ. The legacy of Bishop Ford - beyond restoring and maintaining the historic Clarke House - includes: delivering the sermon at Emmett Till’s funeral; becoming one of the first Black preachers broadcast on Chicago radio; promoting the early days of gospel music; and advocating for jobs, education and housing for the city’s less fortunate. By the time of his death in 1995, he was the international presiding bishop of the Church of God in Christ, which had grown to be the fifth largest denomination in the country. The histories of the Dames’ families moving west in the 19th century and Black people moving north during the Great Migration of the 20th century come together in the Clarke House Museum. Henry Clarke, the house’s first owner, was a direct descendant of Joseph Clarke of Rhode Island, and Caroline Clarke Connelly, a direct descendant of both Henry and Joseph Clarke, is an Illinois Dame who lives in Florida. Without Bishop Ford, it’s unlikely that the Illinois Dames would have a historic home to furnish. Research into his legacy is ongoing and a review is underway to ensure Bishop Ford’s story is told as part of the museum’s collection.
Above: Bishop Louis Henry Ford Bottom left: Clarke House - 1955
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Gunston Hall Challenge Brings Opportunity
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by NELL PAYNE, Vice Regent of Gunston Hall
merica and the world are going through a turbulent period. We’re facing a pandemic, civil unrest and the national conversation about racial inequality. George Mason’s Gunston Hall is working hard to serve as an expanded educational resource through increased virtual access to educational material and a broader social media presence as well as through thoughtprovoking programs and exhibits about the complexities of George Mason and his time, including the recently renovated Visitors’ Center and its centerpiece exhibit, Revolutionary Rights (pictured above).
When the pandemic forced Gunston Hall to close, the staff turned their energy and creativity to amplifying on-line offerings, including “Learning from Home,” a new website page with a series of illustrated activities for children and adults. All have connections with history; some also relate to civics, math, science, language arts, visual arts or home
economics. Through Gunston Hall’s increased social media presence, the staff is posting material that connects the current public health crisis to events and ideas from George Mason’s time, while other posts offer people a break from the grim realities of our current world, with photos and text regarding the natural beauty at Gunston Hall and its grounds. Like many of his fellow revolutionary patriots, George Mason owned more than 300 slaves over the course of his life; despite repeated recognition of the inherent evil of slavery, he did not free his own slaves. Gunston Hall responds to this contradiction by inviting visitors to figuratively immerse themselves in 18th-century life and political philosophy, and to ask themselves how they would have behaved if confronted by the challenges George Mason faced, how those challenges relate to the world today and if they agree with the decisions he made. At Gunston Hall, we strive to enlighten tomorrow by exploring the complex links between past and present.
Sulgrave Manor A Year of Transformation by SALLY CONGDON, Senior Representative to Sulgrave Manor Trust and CAROLINE GOEDHART, Junior Representative to Sulgrave Manor Trust
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his past year at Sulgrave Manor has been all about transformative progress as we prepare the manor for the future. Interior and exterior restoration of the Manor is complete. Two new Sulgrave Manor Trust (SMT) members have been added who will provide fundraising and legal expertise. The SMT has started plans for the development of a capital endowment which will help provide the income to meet both Sulgrave’s anticipated needs and its aspirations.
2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the opening of Sulgrave Manor to the public. We are looking forward to a fantastic celebratory trip in May of 2021. The Manor’s ambitious initiative for 2021 will be the development of a fascinating exhibit on George Washington that details the story of our first President’s origins, life and values. While the Manor has been closed due to restoration work and COVID-19, we are looking forward to the re-opening of the gardens to the public and being able to visit the Manor next spring. 18
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Dumbarton House Transcending Crises by KELLY PARAS, NSCDA Digital Communications Specialist
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the Great Depression. The Dames doubled down on their dedication to historic preservation, fully restoring the house and opening it as a museum in 1932 with First Lady Lou Henry Hoover in attendance.
Dumbarton House, our NSCDA National Headquarters and Museum, was built in 1799 just 23 years after the founding of our nation, and it has stood witness to every national crisis and triumph since. The Dumbarton House archives reveal that even before the NSCDA took ownership of the property, it had a history of being a safe space and a place of service.
The outbreak of WWII altered our nation forever. In January 1942, the NSCDA offered the ground floor of Dumbarton House to the American Red Cross as a service unit for the organization. Then NSCDA National President Mrs. Low remarked, “Although old houses are valuable, they are not as valuable as the boys in the Service whom we wish to help, many of them our own sons.” This collaboration with the Red Cross has served as a model going forward, as Dumbarton House has been the site of blood drives and support events for the organization in the years since.
hroughout history, nearly every generation of Americans has faced years of war, devastating economic turns and public health emergencies. We are living in a unique time – a global pandemic on a scale difficult to fathom. We are acutely aware that this historic time will provide a reference point for generations to come. In our awareness of our historical present, we look to the past for inspiration.
During the War of 1812, our nation’s new capital city was threatened by an invading British Army. First Lady Dolley Madison waited until the last possible moment to leave the White House as she gathered precious documents and objects, including a copy of the Declaration of Independence and Charles Wilson Peale’s iconic portrait of George Washington. Dolley Madison became our nation’s first and most heroic preservationist, and when she finally left the White House grounds, she fled to the safety of Dumbarton House. With the city and White House ablaze, the brick structure of our National Headquarters shielded some of America’s most beloved national treasures from destruction. Just before America was gripped by the Great Depression in the 1930s, the Dames rallied and looked inward to strengthen their mission. Former NSCDA National President Clarinda Pendleton Lamar led a search for a National Headquarters for the organization. She found Dumbarton House, then called Bellevue, on the heights of Georgetown; while the property was not for sale, she was determined to acquire it. She wrote to the owner and so compellingly explained the reason that the NSCDA wished to buy it that the owner agreed to sell. The Dames purchased the property independent of their husbands (a rare feat for the time). The property could not be purchased without the NSCDA being incorporated, which required a formal act of Congress (which they obtained). The home was valued at $225,000, yet Mrs. Lamar convinced the owner to sell it for just $185,000, and the Dames raised all of the money to pay off that mortgage within two years – during
As COVID-19 spread across America and the world, Dumbarton House did not hesitate to respond. With centuries of history and a heavy sense of duty behind it, the site quickly coordinated with other historic properties and museums to gather Personal Protective Equipment urgently needed by local healthcare professionals. As Washington, D.C. came to a standstill, Dumbarton House was determined to remain an asset to the community and opened its grounds as a safe refuge for neighbors and residents seeking outdoor space. Dumbarton House transitioned to distance education and online learning, providing resources for families across the country who unexpectedly began homeschooling their children. The common thread across this entire history of crises is a measured, thoughtful approach to providing aid and assistance while staying true to the mission of the organization. How fitting that even before the NSCDA was involved with Dumbarton House, a legacy of community aid was already in place to serve as inspiration. Dames Discovery | Fall 2020
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Community Connections
Colorado Society is bringing history to life in their Great American Treasure, the Hotel de Paris Museum. In 2021, they will open the Brasserie de Paris in an effort to bring the museum closer to its history and create a new revenue facet.
Virginia Society is pleased to
announce the Celebration Shawl and Pocahontas Pin, available for purchase. For information on the history behind these designs or to order, please visit nscdava.org/shop
Indiana Society has restored
the historically accurate garden at the David Lenz House in New Harmony. A walk through the garden offers the community solace during these challenging times.
Bows are a great way to make new members feel
welcome. Please contact Margo Barry to receive new member bows. Three town and county commmittees of the CA Society welcomed (with bows!) three new members this summer. Pictured left to right: Candidate CiCi Williamson, Past TC Chair Anne Rhett Merrill, Historian Mary Collier, New Member Barbara Hill, President Sarah Heatwole, Past TC Chair Robin Martin, TC Vice Chair Julie Willig and Candidate's Helper Susie Mitchell. On the Zoom Call were New Members Chana Jackson and Deanne Violich and TC Communications Chair Judy Mack.
West Virginia Society is making the most of the lockdown by cleaning the Craik Patton House gardens so visitors can enjoy the garden and smell the flowers — a welcome distraction from being cooped up at home for many months!
Kansas Society member Virginia Garver, the oldest
(100 years old!) and longest member of the Wichita Town Committee, has made dozens of masks for the residents of her assisted living facility in Wichita. This avid seamstress is a Kansas native and attended Sweet Briar College in Virginia, graduated from Boston Children’s Hospital school of nursing and was a nurse for many years.
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Community Connections
National Historian/ Archivist Lea Uhre taught her
grandchildren, William (7) and Sophie (4), about their family history by cleaning silver together and becoming history detectives in the process!
Arizona Society’s first Young Dame, 13-year-old Madison Schantz, her mother, Lissa, and Raimie Manch, AZ Society Registar, created and taught a lesson to 3rd-grade students on the art of the thank-you note. Raimie shared notes from her family that dated back to 1887.
Wisconsin Society’s Agency
House hosted a community archaeological dig to locate an 1830s blacksmith shop which was established at the Agency to serve the Ho-Chunk Nation.
South Carolina Society member Allie P. Walker
(pictured, on right, with Helen D. Holland, on left) helped start Help 4 Kids, a ministry in Florence, SC that provides food on weekends for elementary school children who would have nothing or very little to eat. During COVID-19, Allie worked with donors and volunteers to sort food, pack bags and deliver them to drop-off sites where students or family members could pick them up. Allie continues the long tradition of Dames rising to the occasion to overcome obstacles and challenges.
Washington Society purchased a 1777 letter from George Washington to General Nelson during Washington’s service as General of the Continental Army. The letter is on display at the state’s capitol in Olympia. The WA Society created a grant-award program to support historic preservation and is continuing their commitment to History Day.
Iowa Society has partnered with the State Historical
Society to sponsor History Alive workshops, which included a field trip to the Iowa State Capitol where students heard about Iowa’s important role in political history. Students also learned about Iowa’s unique caucus process, the importance of Iowa’s constitution, and the role that Iowa’s supreme court decisions played in shaping the laws of the state.
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The Witches of Early America History Highlights / by MARGARET DESTEFANO, Colorado Society
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n 1647, the American witch phenomenon began. The Colony of Connecticut sent America’s first condemned witch, Alse Young of Windsor, to the gallows. After that, witchcraft prosecutions took off in Connecticut, indeed, in all of New England. In Massachusetts in 1651, some 41 years before the famous Salem witch trials of 1692, the second woman was hanged as a witch in the colonies. It happened outside modern-day Boston near the town of Dorchester. Her name was Alice (Mrs. Henry) Lake. Alice’s descendants eventually made their way to the territory of Clermont County, Ohio. They became part of the Knowles family line, a line that claims several Colonial Dames including this article’s author.
was “bound out” by the town meeting to a local family for a “consideration” of 26 pounds—and was dead within two years. The other three were also placed in (separate) Dorchester households until their father was able to come back to retrieve them and take them to Rhode Island to live with him. The book The Early Rhode Island Lakes, published July 1935 in The American Genealogist and New Haven Genealogical Magazine says Henry Lake of Dorchester, Mass., Portsmouth and Warwick, R.I., was born in 1610. He died 21 Feb 1672. Married Alice. His wife was one of the earliest victims of witchcraft mania in New England.
Alice's year of birth is unknown, but because of the ages of her children, she was likely about 30 years old. This mother of five’s newborn baby died. Afterwards, Alice believed she saw her baby in a dream. Because of that, she was accused and convicted of being a witch, and she was executed. The claim in the town of Dorchester was that the devil was coming to her in the form of her deceased, beloved child. Records are scant, but they show she had an opportunity to recant her story on the day of her execution and possibly to save her life. She refused to recant, but she said she knew why God was punishing her; she had engaged in sex prior to marriage, became pregnant and attempted to end her pregnancy. The Reverend John Hale had been a young boy when he witnessed the execution of Alice Lake. He went on to graduate from Harvard and became a minister. He supported the witch trials until the witch hunters came after his own pregnant wife, the last woman accused of witchcraft in Salem in November of 1692. The Reverend Hale wrote the following in 1697 about the death of Alice Lake: “…This woman faced death, and still she would not say she had not seen her dead baby…” The process of dispersal of Alice Lake’s children after she was executed was found in the local records. Her husband Henry moved away at once; his name appears regularly in the records of Portsmouth, Rhode Island beginning in April 1651. The four Lake children, all less than ten years old, remained in Dorchester. One, probably the youngest, 22
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The story of Alice Lake reveals the horrors of living in a rigid, puritanical society. The fact that her husband relocated the remnants of his family to Rhode Island after the hanging shows that he felt the politics of that colony offered a more accepting community. History is where the future begins. Over time, perspective changes the way history is understood, and accepted histories can always be reexamined. The persecution of witches in Colonial America exemplifies what was once considered “immoral conduct” and can now be seen as a far more complex case involving medicine, psychosis and myopia that were typical of that time. Photo credit: Library of Congress
We also believe that traveling Dames style is more pertinent than ever. Our mission remains to select safe destinations, travel with people you know, and include private as well as curated visits to sites where entrance is only granted to a small number of travelers. These attributes have always been the hallmark of traveling Dames style. Rest assured Kathryn Waller, Georgia Society the champagne will be ready for us to and toast when we can all greet each other President of Connoisseurs Tours and celebrate together. the Official NSCDA Travel Program Partner
With over 43 years of experience meeting financial and geopolitical challenges that continue to affect travel, I—along with our amazing team—have taken the time to listen to your concerns as well as your hopes and dreams for what travel will look like in the future.
Journeys Dames Style
The way forward through this everchanging travel environment is to have the ability to make reservations while safeguarding your travel investment with you in control of your travel preferences. This is non-negotiable for any traveler. For 2021 journeys, there are no large payments in advance and, at every point, your deposit and payments can be protected with 100% refunds.
Upcoming Travel
February 8-13
Barbados: George Washington, American Colonies & the British Empire in the Caribbean
To view all upcoming journeys and/ or to request more information, please visit: ctjourneys. com/nscda or call 1-800-856-1045. May-June
April 18-28
April 24-May 4
Tulip Mania & The Dutch Golden Age: Amsterdam to Antwerp aboard the River Princess
The River Becomes the Line: Basel to Berlin aboard the S.S. Antoinette
Photo captions from cover page Left column: 1) Gina Whalen, PA Dame, Chair of the NSCDA Sampler Survey and Biennial presenter: “How to Read a Sampler” 2) Dumbarton House staff members Sheridan Small and Mary Lesher 3) Brigadier General Anne Macdonald, Biennial presenter: “First Women at the U.S. Military Academy, West Point” 4) NSCDA staff member Rachel Jones 5) Biennial lecture on landscape architect
Beatrix Farrand Middle column: 1) Installation of incoming National President, Katherine Cammack with Honorary President Marcy Moody and Retiring President Anna Duff 2) Biennial treats 3) Edith Stickney, NSCDA Comprehensive Campaign Chair, and Stuart Cobb, Honorary Campaign Chair and National NSCDA President 20042008
Friends of Sulgrave Manor: Dames Day & Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of opening Sulgrave Manor to the public
4) Caro Williams, Vice President - Region I Right column: 1) Christy Coleman, Executive Director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, Biennial presenter: “Leading Change” 2) Biennial lecture on the new era of travel 3) David Rubenstein, Biennial weekend featured speaker 4) Anna Duff and Katherine Cammack
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NSCDA Badge by Claudia Stewart Lane, Illinois Society President
