Dames Discovery Fall 2021 - Volume 31 No. 2

Dames Discovery

HPRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

Unwearying Enthusiasm: Sisterhood from Coast to Coast

ow wonderful was it to be together with over 415 of our fellow Dames during our virtual conference and Board meeting last week! It was so inspiring and invigorating to learn, share and laugh together. My deepest thanks and appreciation go to the meeting planning team that worked tirelessly to ensure our first ever National Conference could take place virtually with exceptional content, educational programming and social events. We welcomed Carol Cadou, Executive Director National Society of The Colonial Dames and National Headquarters Dumbarton House, and we learned about the about the important work being accomplished.

As we celebrated our "Unwearying Enthusiasm: Sisterhood from Coast to Coast," we confirmed once again what it means to be a Dame, an American and a lover of history. We recognize what history and traditions teach us about all those who came before us and help us become better citizens and people. Our patriotism is strong because it is based on gratitude. Our long-lived Constitution has gotten us through many hard challenges and it is the foundation for the living practices of liberty and equality. Our American patriotism is not aggressive: it unifies rather than divides. As Dames we share our genuine love of country and teach ourselves and others about early American history. We remember the outstanding attributes of all the men and women that laid the foundation of our country as we also understand their virtues and flaws.

As we work toward the priorities of our organization, a keen focus on mission is important for all that we do. One of the most visible and tangible areas of our mission is historic preservation which we show through Great American Treasures, our collection of museum sites from coast to coast. At the conference, we learned how our Great American Treasures initiative is evolving and expanding its resources to be of greater value to member sites through publicity, resources and leadership from our headquarters at Dumbarton House.

The inaugural Museum Alliance grants were awarded to four Great American Treasures gems for their important projects. Great American Treasures isn’t just about dates or timelines or architectural styles. It’s about movement: to the west, to the north and to the south. It shows that history actually happened in these places. People toiled, frolicked, built and lost fortunes, penned rebellion and struggled to build a better tomorrow in these spaces. The emergence of a new nation required the efforts of everyday people, not just the bold actions of the famous founding ones. As we imagine the courageous people who stretched boundaries and struck out on their own, Great American Treasures represents the idea that these sites and their stories were essential to the formation of our country and continue to guide us forward today.

This early history of our young nation gives context and meaning to who we are and how America came to be. Our work shows the true nature of citizenship and shows that we are stronger together, as Dames and as Americans.

With gratitude and appreciation for you all,

President

Katherine Taylor Cammack

Executive Director

Carol Cadou

Editor

Sonya Wolsey-Paige

Copy Editors

Margaret “Peggy” DeStefano

Marcy Moody

Jean Perkins

Susan Walker

Advisors

Ellen Boomer

Mimi Myer Hurst

Lee Scott

E mail | damesdiscovery@gmail.com

Website | nscda.org

Please follow the NSCDA on your favorite social media.

DamesDiscoveryis published in spring and fall for the benefit of members of The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America.

Submissions deadline:

February 1, spring issue

August 1, fall issue

WEditor’s Note

e cannot help but be proud of the Dames— the authors and team who contributed to this magazine and you, our readers. We are grateful for the affirmation of our mission that your personal affiliation brings.

Our fall issue takes its cue from the NSCDA’s firstever National Conference and the St. Louis-related theme “gateway to history’s future,” a theme we find resonant even after our pivot to a virtual meeting. We explore the stories of audacious pioneers and settlers who were heavily influenced by the vast lands to which they migrated. A myriad of peoples call this land home, and they have been shaped by struggle, adversity and resilience. The many challenges of today have reminded us of the profound ways history affects our future. Elsewhere in this issue other articles celebrate the NSCDA and its growth through creativity, collaborations and purpose across the regions.

We aspire and strive to share the best that Dames have to offer, and we look forward to being your favorite Dames connection! We hope you enjoy this Fall 2021 issue ... it was tailored with you in mind.

Sonya Wolsey-Paige

ABOVE: The NSCDA Badge, colored pencil on film

PAGE 3: Hydrangeas, watercolor on paper

Artwork by Claudia Eoline Stewart Lane, Illinois Society

PAGE 4: Photo by Maria DeForrest (Courtesy of Winterthur)

PAGE 18: top—Bolduc-LeMeilleur House, Louis Bolduc House, Louis Bolduc House (Photos by Gary Robert Taylor)

PAGE 18: bottom—Bolduc-LeMeilleur House, Jardin Potager at Bolduc House, Beauvais Linden House (Courtesy of NSCDA-MO)

PAGE 19: Artifacts from The Center for French Colonial Life (Photos by Gary Robert Taylor)

DamesDiscoveryaccepts submissions from Corporate Societies. NSCDA assumes no responsibility for statements made or opinions expressed by contributing writers and artists. While every care is taken to ensure information is correct at time of going to press, it is subject to change, and NSCDA takes no responsibility for omissions or errors. NSCDA reserves the right to edit and place all content.

2022

Subject to change

March 3 –6 Thu –Sun

Executive Committee Retreat, The Greenbriar, WV

March 29 –30 Tue –Wed

Audit & Finance Committee Meetings, Virtual

March 30 –April 1 Wed –Fri

Dumbarton House Board Meetings, Washington, DC

April 1 –3 Fri –Sun

Gunston Hall Meetings, Mason Neck, VA

September 26 –28 Mon –Wed

Audit & Finance Committee Meetings, Washington, DC

September 28 –30 Wed –Fri

Dumbarton House Board Meetings, Washington, DC

September 30 –October 2 Fri –Sun

Gunston Hall Meetings, Mason Neck, VA

October 10 –13 Mon –Thu

Friends of Sulgrave Manor Meetings, Washington, DC

October 13 –16 Thu –Sun

Biennial & National Board Meeting, Washington, DC

In Memoriam

MA–2547A

CO–316

C aroline S teward M orri S on B rown (Mrs saMuel H. Brown, IV)

October 14, 1916–November 20, 2020

Colorado Society President 1960–1962

Roll of Honor 1976

Ralph Wheelock (c.1603–1684) MA

GA–2737

DC–781

NC–5856

n an C y " n an " H ul B ert S au SS y H o BS on (Mrs. JaMes r IcHMond HoBson)

November 22, 1943 - October 22, 2021

District of Columbia Society President 1999-2002 and 2008-2009

Roll of Honor 2006

John Hart (c.1655-1714) CT

MA–3517A

MN–436

G eor G ia G ail r ay l indeke (Mrs a lBert w lIndeke)

September 19, 1926–July 21, 2021

Minnesota Society President 1987–1991

Roll of Honor 1988

William Brewster (c.1566/67–10 April 1644) MA

NJ–1528A

VT–256

d iana M elville M or G an o l C ott (Mrs a lfred Van santVood olcott, Jr.)

November 25, 1928–November 18, 2018

New Jersey Society President 1985–1987

Roll of Honor 1989

Thomas Dudley (October 1576–July 1653) MA

NC–2848A KY–0813

S ara C e C il H err P erry

November 22, 1925–June 28, 2021

Kentucky Society President 1977–1981

Roll of Honor 1982

Ezekial Polk (1747–1824) NC

VA–6241

l u C y C a B ell P yle S u MM erell (Mrs. Howard MItcHell suMMerell)

June 21, 1933 - September 29, 2021

National Vice President Region IV 1988-1994

Virginia Society President 1982-1986

Roll of Honor 1986

William Cabell (1730-1798) VA

CT–504

d orot H y v enter (Mrs. JosIaH G. Venter)

September 7, 1913–April 27, 2021

Connecticut Society President 1990–1994

Roll of Honor 1999

Andrew Ward (c.1597–1659) CT

SNOTE FROM HEADQUARTERS

Carol Cadou, Executive Director

ince beginning my tenure as your Executive Director, I have enjoyed the opportunity to meet members beyond my Maryland Society and to appreciate anew the NSCDA’s commitment to preserving historic places and American history through a shared spirit of patriotism. I have witnessed the coast-to-coast support for and dedication to our scholarship programs, the Great American Treasures initiative, and the civic engagement conducted by our Corporate Societies. As the title of the National Conference suggested, we are a mighty sisterhood across America united by energy and enthusiasm. I am honored to walk alongside you into the future.

With Covid-19 restrictions lifting and our historic properties resuming "the new normal" operations, I look forward to visiting with our Corporate Societies as I hear your ideas for the future and learn about your present concerns. Our collective interest in supporting the operations of our Great American Treasures properties and connecting our members are goals of utmost importance. The National Headquarters staff and I stand ready to assist you.

Over the course of the next year, the Headquarters team and I will improve member resources as well as our national and international reach through upgrades to the NSCDA website. We will also be occupied heavily in preparing for your arrival in Washington, DC for the 2022 Biennial Council. In addition to celebrating being together, we will mark the 90th anniversary of Dumbarton House as the NSCDA’s National Headquarters and permanent presence in our nation’s capital. The Dumbarton House Board, 90th Anniversary Committee, National Development Committee, staff and I are working to ensure that your home away from home realizes the vision of early Dames while providing you with a platform to exhibit and to share the history, people and stories of your state.

In the coming months, National Headquarters Dumbarton House will increasingly offer a national narrative reflective of our varied geographic, ancestral and cultural influences. Our exhibitions, programs and educational efforts will broaden beyond the histories of the famous, those from the original thirteen colonies, or the people who lived and worked at Dumbarton House. With your help and the partnership of our Great American Treasures, we look forward to telling the tales of men, women and families across the country who yearned and worked tirelessly for a better future for themselves, their community and their new nation. Their efforts provide the inspiration and meaning that have guided and energized the NSCDA since 1891.

With kindest regards and all best wishes,

The difficult decision to pivot the National Conference from an in-person event to an entirely virtual one for the health and safety of our members was accomplished with aplomb! In partnership with the Missouri Society, the 2021 conference presentations brought focus to the NSCDA mission. An online preconference program was available as well as those that were live-streamed and recorded for future viewing on the NSCDA YouTube channel. This first-ever National Conference was attended by 400+ Dames and guests.

We welcomed keynote speaker, Dr. Blanche Touhill, Chancellor Emerita and Professor Emerita of History and Education at the University of Missouri—St. Louis. She spoke about the Dames mission to preserve the history of the United States and told of her personal involvement at The Centre for French Colonial Life.

Taking a deep dive into regional musical influences, we were entertained by musical artist Dennis Stroughmatt with "L’Esprit Creole: French Creole Tales, Ballads and Fiddle Tunes from the Illinois Country." Dames also toured "Between the Notes," the Missouri History Museum’s St. Louis Sound exhibition.

Prior to the conference, Pennsylvania Dame and textile conservator Gina Whelan’s online presentation, "Material Witnesses:

Evidence in Embroideries," explored conservation in textiles.

We also welcomed Jerry Foust, Historic Site Director for Dumbarton House, who examined how historic site sustainability initiatives affirmatively position the house museum not only as a community partner for the greater good but also as a community leader in preservation.

In "The Welcome Table: The Power of Food Programming at Historic Homes," museum consultant Michelle Moon explored how knowledge of the culinary past is being freshly infused with recent scholarship in American food history. As museum sites revisit comprehensive historical renderings, visitor experiences and personal interpretations are greatly enhanced through programming that embraces the human senses.

Friday and Saturday were topped off with delightful sessions to end each day. Cocktails with a Great American Treasure included visits to The Hermann-Grima Historic House and to George Mason’s Gunston Hall.

Patriotic pride was on full display with the new NSCDA partnership with America’s VetDogs. Dames continue their legacy of gratitude through the sponsored service dog, a puppy named "Dame," who will be trained in essential tasks

to assist a veteran, active duty military or first responder. In a separate presentation, members of the National Patriotic Service Committee reflected on the new and ongoing service and civic projects supported by the NSCDA in their presentation, "Red, White and YOU."

Chair Holly Hunt and Vice-Chair Molly Carey provided insight into strategic priorities guiding the Membership Committee with their presentation, "NSCDA Membership—What’s New?". The committee offered many strategies to strengthen membership and recruitment. Updated and new resources have been added to the Membership Committee page on the national website for use by all members. The Membership Committee panel discussion, "Building Bridges: Tips for 'Talking Dames' in Trying Times," provided optimal support and open dialogue for Dames to reflect on their NSCDA affiliation. Panelists discussed the perceived issues of vulnerability and notions of relevance.

The uncertainties and current challenges of the pandemic have encouraged innovation, transformation and a path forward to an exciting future for the members of the NSCDA. As our Societies adapt, we continue to learn and build on interpersonal connections. Above all, we retain the best of what we love and value about being Dames.

Healing Power America’s VetDogs

by Margaret Freeman , Chair, National Patriotic

Service Committee

The NSCDA is proud to fulfill our mission of patriotic service by supporting our military and its veterans. In 2021, the Colonial Dames partnered with America’s VetDogs, whose mission is to help those who have served our country honorably live with dignity and renewed independence. The program places highly-skilled service and guide dogs with veterans, active duty service members or first responders who suffer emotional trauma and physical injury, including PTSD, hearing and vision loss and seizures.

U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major (CSM)

Gretchen Evans’s world was shattered by a mortar blast in 2006 while she was serving in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. The blast propelled her across the ground, causing traumatic brain injury and blowing out her eardrums. CSM Evans spent days in a coma. When she emerged, her doctor wrote something on a whiteboard. He turned it around and showed it to her. It simply read, “You’re deaf.”

CSM Evans, whose tour of duty was up just three weeks later, insisted on returning to Afghanistan to fly home with the troops under her command. Once home, she retired from 27 years in the military and entered rehabilitation. The Atlanta VA Medical Center recommended that she apply for a service dog from America’s VetDogs. Gretchen’s extraordinary devotion to duty was soon

mirrored by another active duty soldier, one that helped her listen to the world through a different set of ears—furry, loyal, lovable ones.

In 2015, Gretchen attended service dog classes at America’s VetDogs and was teamed with Aura, a hearing dog trained specifically for her. Aura reported for duty and was able to alert Gretchen to everyday sounds such as the doorbell, ringing phones, kitchen buzzers and the laundry timer. (Gretchen admits that she isn’t too fond of that last one!) Aura could also discern life-threatening emergency alarms, using different alert

responses for fire alarms and door knocks.

Aura and Gretchen were regular running partners, each keeping the other in great physical shape and high emotional spirits. After several devoted years, Aura retired as a service dog and now remains her adored family pet. They welcomed a new service dog, Rusty, who has ably stepped into Aura’s service paw prints.

Gretchen was able to return to school and earn degrees in psychology and sociology. She intends to help fellow veterans and she hopes that others can also benefit from the emotional and physical healing power of America’s VetDogs.

ABOVE: CSM Evans with Rusty

U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major Gretchen Evans was inducted into the US Veterans Hall of Fame in October 2021. She has attained the highest rank an enlisted soldier can achieve during her military career.

Patriotism Revisited Many Voices

by Marianna MacIntyre , National Patriotic Service Committee

Partnerships with the Library of Congress Veterans History Project and America’s VetDogs have exponentially strengthened the NSCDA’s fine work, allowing for increased mission momentum and impact. Our Corporate Societies continue to fill the Library of Congress archives with incredible personal interviews with veterans about their service to our country.

America’s VetDogs offered one such opportunity to add to the NSCDA Veterans History Project by our recording the story of Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Gretchen Evans (see adjacent article). CSM Evans was being inducted into the US Veterans Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina this past October, where we caught up with her for an interview. Shortly before we sat down together, a fire broke out in the ballroom where the gala was to take place. Fire alarms blared. No problem hearing them for us, but Gretchen was alone in her hotel room with her service dog Rusty and was unable to hear the alarm. Due to disabilities sustained during her military career, Gretchen is deaf. Service dog Rusty heard the alarm and raced

into action. For the first time in their partnership, Rusty used his fire alarm training and Gretchen understood his warning. Together, they got out of harm’s way.

At the interview, Gretchen relayed her tearful and moving story, beginning in her childhood. Reflecting on her return to civilian life, Gretchen revealed that she may have been deadly accurate with a grenade but was at a loss when trying to reintegrate into society. She said she is thankful that “Rusty has my back.” We are thankful she shared her story.

We also had the honor and privilege to record veteran Richard (Dick)Tolliver’s compelling story. Trained by Tuskegee Airmen, Dick served as a pilot in Vietnam. A previous Hall of Fame honoree, he was in attendance for his son-in-law’s induction. When asked to give us an impromptu interview for this History Project, he did not hesitate!

As the gratifying and emotional day of recording came to a close, Curtis Drafton, founder of the US Veterans Hall of Fame event, offered the US Veterans Hall of Fame as an

additional partnership for the NSCDA. The NSCDA has been invited to next year's event to record the stories of inductees. November 5, 2022. Yes. We. Will.

With Corporate Societies participating, Dames have helped more than 160 (and counting) veterans process and share personal stories of military service. These interviews, archived at the Library of Congress, provide researchers with valuable insight into military service, and they help all of us better understand military life and sacrifice.

Powerful oral histories— indeed. Powerful partnerships—without a doubt. Powerful tools for healing— undeniable.

ABOVE: CSM Evans with Rusty

Museum Alliance Grant Fund Inaugural Awards

After nearly a decade of dreaming, planning and fundraising, the NSCDA has completed its first Museum Alliance Grant cycle. Nineteen remarkable Great American Treasures applied for one of four available $5,000 grants. Each project advances the preservation or awareness of the historical trusts (buildings, collections, landscapes, gardens or communities) of the NSCDA. Saving and protecting the fabric of this nation’s heritage through service to people, places and objects stands at the heart of the NSCDA mission and programs. Congratulations to the 2021 awardees:

Linden/Hands-on House Fencing Replacement

The Centre for French Colonial Life (MO)

Joel Lane Museum House Interior Paint Analysis

Joel Lane Museum House (NC)

Sustainability Based Horticulture Initiative

McAllister House Museum (CO)

Mobilizing Educational

Programs: George Washington

Really Did Sleep Here!

Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum (CT)

Purchase supplies for volunteers to build a new, historically accurate fence to replace the fence erected at the Beauvais Linden House in the 1970s.

Hire conservator and paint analyst Dr. Susan Buck to analyze interior paint and wall/trim treatments to determine accurate colors and finishes for the 1769 Joel Lane House.

Purchase and install an irrigation system, including rain sensors, rain barrel catchment system, drip line and mulch as well as rock and flagstone to ethically support the restored landscape.

Create a fifth-grade level mobile program that interprets General Washington’s life, his role and service to the United States. The primary and secondary evidence will be gathered in five traveling trunks delivered by members of the Connecticut Society.

The four runners-up include: Andrew Low House Museum (GA), Historic Rosedale Plantation (NC), NeillCochran House Museum (TX) and Powder Magazine (SC)

Thank you to all applicants, including: Clark House Museum (IL), Condé-Charlotte Museum House (AL), The Historic Indian Agency House (WI), Hotel de Paris Museum (CO), Moffatt-Ladd House & Garden (NH), Octagon House (CA), Sulgrave Manor & Garden (GBR), Tate House Museum (ME), Travellers Rest Historic House Museum (TN), Van Cortlandt House Museum (NY) and Ximenez-Fatio House (FL)

Historic preservation accomplishes far more than merely glorifying the past. Nurturing an understanding of the past ensures that future generations have a strong, sound foundation on which to build. The NSCDA looks forward to celebrating and supporting our collective impact on local communities one project and one visitor at a time.

Dames by the

Numbers

by Meepsie Dougherty , Former National Registrar

National memberShip

The NSCDA is more than 130 years old! It started as a group of friends and has grown to a federation of 44 Corporate Societies.

Our membership numbers have fluctuated over the past 20 years between 15,100 and 15,600. As of June 1, 2021, membership stands at 15,142.

Today, we remain optimistic about an uptick in interest, mirroring the growing national trend in genealogy research and family lineage discovery.

Society Size

Our Societies are quite a diverse collection of sizes. We continue to welcome many new members and look forward to attracting even more prospective members and candidates in the years ahead. Across the regions, Corporate Society memberships range in size:

• 20 Societies with fewer than 150 members

• 15 Societies with 150 –500 members

• 9 Societies with 500+ members

Research: LineS of aScent

Once you prove your link to a colonial ancestor (from a daunting 250–300 years ago), it certainly gives you cause to celebrate. There is some measure of pride in making lineage connections, allowing us to honor our past and enrich the present. Today’s technology makes it so much easier, with websites and online libraries amassing more documents that help us discover our lineage. What once took hours of research in libraries and historical societies can be accomplished in far less time online. The NSCDA database is growing and our colonial states are working to streamline the application process. To date we have:

• 2021: 10,483 qualifying ancestors—of those, 43 are women

• 56 new qualifying ancestors added since 2020

Age DemographicS

More women are in the workforce now, with personal and career demands that exceed time available for groups such as the Dames. As these demands lessen, one is more able to devote time to personal avocations—such as historic preservation and tracing family history. We are delighted to welcome the upcoming generation of new Dames whose lineage papers are approved!

The Young Dames program is an outreach effort designed to appeal to a younger age demographic. Dames are planning programs that appeal to younger working members’ interests and that accommodate work schedules. As we succeed, more women may join at a younger age and participate for a longer period.

The current distribution of Dames by age group:

• 14% under age 50

• 14% age 50+

• 24% age 60+

• 27% age 70+

• 15% age 80+

• 6% age 90+

Pathways Genealogy Routes

by Molly Jordan Carey , Vice-Chair, National Membership Committee

The NSCDA— 130+ years in the making. Our members enable us to thrive!

Access the regionS

Corporate Societies are grouped into four geographically distinct regions. Seven states do not have Corporate Societies— Alaska, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota and Utah. Beginning in 2021, Candidates from states without a Corporate Society can be invited to join the NSCDA through a neighboring Society. Unchanged is the prescribed pathway for candidate proposals and vetting through a qualified ancestor. Dames who move into a non-NSCDA state can continue their involvement through a neighboring Society. This is an exciting time to be a part of living history!

Friends and famiLy

The NSCDA is excited to introduce the creation of a nonmember Friends program. This initiative allows adopted daughters, granddaughters and daughters-in-law, who do not qualify for membership, to associate with the Dames. Members have long desired to welcome adopted and extended family members into our Dames world.

It is the prerogative of individual Corporate Societies to approve this non-member program.

Young at heart

Young and Junior Dames are defined differently and the membership guidelines vary from society to society. Generally, a Young Dame is under 50 years of age and a Junior Dame is under 18 or 21 years of age. In fact, some Corporate Societies admit Junior Dames at birth. These are typically legacies.

Refer to your Corporate Society Bylaws for more information.

Dames by Legacy

Mothers, daughters, grandmothers, granddaughters, aunts, nieces and first cousins are considered legacies if they are related through the same lineage as a member. They may be proposed for membership in the NSCDA through the legacy process described in the National Registrar’s Manual.

Refer to your Corporate Society Bylaws for more information

Letter from a Young Dame Branching Out

by Francie Logan , Chair, National Young Dames Committee

Dear Dames,

We are the future of this organization! We are members of 44 Corporate Societies representing many and varied local customs and projects. We are members of this incredible group of over 15,000 women who have pledged to preserve the past for the future. The realization of our founders’ dream and the enriching connections of the Dames of today bring us together to honor where we have been as an inspiration to where we are going.

If I took a poll, I bet that many would answer the question “Why are you a Dame?” with “Because my mother (and/or possibly grandmother) encouraged my membership.” I am a third-generation Dame, but the truth is, we need to think on a bigger scale and branch out. We need to let other women know that we are a national group of some of the smartest, loveliest, most hospitable and aweinspiring women on the planet. Who wouldn’t want to be a Dame?

When I moved to Nashville 19 years ago with no family or connections in town, I realized the best way for me to find the fast track into Nashville’s movers and shakers was to become involved with the Nashville Town Committee. Since then, I have served on the Nashville Town Committee Board, the NSCDA Tennessee State Board, and now at the National level as the Young Dames Chair. Through those appointments, I have made contacts and friends across the country. After my first Regional Conference in New Orleans in 2019, I felt as if I saw the Dames through a new lens, a national lens.

Think of the Dames as a network, not a “club.” This is an open door to welcome you into any new state, town or community. I could move to Denver, New York City, Dallas or Atlanta and immediately have local connections. We have a common bond that ties us together.

Let’s use our relationships to grow our numbers. Let’s give our friends, daughters, nieces and granddaughters a pathway to success as they branch out in life. Let’s enjoy a shared responsibility to make the best Dames’ years those ahead of us!

Talking Dames To Potential Candidates

by Holly Hunt , Chair & Molly Jordan Carey , Vice-Chair, National Membership Committee

Can you answer this question from a potential candidate for membership? What do the Dames do? Your answer could be . . . How long do you have to listen?

You may laugh, but the list of Dames accomplishments is so long that it can take a while to explain. We have a 130-year history of accomplishments that continues today. There is much to be proud of and much you may enjoy sharing with those interested in our organization.

Together the individual Societies and the NSCDA own, operate or support over 90 historic properties. (That’s more than the National Trust and second only to the National Park Service!)

We are a leader in the field of historic preservation, restoration and the interpretation of historic sites. Together, we support collections of more than 190,000 artifacts throughout the United States and England.

We provide programming for over 15,000+ participants, in addition to daily property tours and events. Our museum programs are open and available to everyone.

We grant awards in excess of $250,000 in student scholarships every year. (That's one quarter of a million dollars!)

We contribute to programs serving 8,000+ military personnel and their families.

• Founded in 1891

• 15,000+ members strong

• 44 Corporate Societies

Through historic preservation, patriotic service and education programs, we want to inspire all people to understand and honor our origins as a nation.

Our membership is lineagebased, with ancestoral roots traced to the Colonial era of early America.

We promote respect and appreciation for all people, places and events that led to the founding of our country.

We are a non-partisan, non-political women's organization with a standing policy of nondiscrimination.

Great American Treasures is the most significant manifestation of our mission. The collection of Great American Treasures isn’t just about dates or timelines or architectural styles. It's the movement of Europeans from being subjects of a kingdom to governing themselves. It’s also about the stories of people who wanted something more: people fleeing religious persecution or the law; enslaved people who came here not by choice but by force; women who wanted to find their voice; and Native Americans who were pushed off their lands. The Curated Collections of Great American Treasures give context to who we are and how America came to be.

greatamericantreasures.org

Reflections On Being a Dame Today

by Claudia Lane , Illinois Society

Dame Francis Blatchford’s words at the end of the Illinois Society's 40th anniversary history commemorative book ring as true in 2021 as they did when she wrote them in 1934: “Let us not forget we are here because of distinguished services rendered to our country in those early days, and, mindful of our responsibility, use our leadership wisely.” Her very last sentence reflects the Dames' continuing hope: “May the years to come bring more of steadfastness of purpose and devotion as each member goes forward with wise insight and vision to meet the needs of this changing world.”

Today it feels as if the world is changing more fundamentally and much more quickly than ever before. However, it’s likely that each generation has felt that way. We should take comfort that they coped with it and follow their examples over the decades.

Of more concern today, it appears as if the values and ideas that motivated our ancestors are being superseded, erased, or forgotten. As the pace of life quickens, the value of studying history seems less relevant or more controversial to many people. The Dames familiar slogan “Entrusted With History’s Future” must be embraced as a challenge by our organization. Dames are recognizing the need to create new methods of promoting knowledge of and respect for the people, places and events that led to formation of the country.

As our educational programs have shown, our ancestors faced immense challenges, raging political battles, actual armed conflict and, in many cases, extreme privation, personal risk and isolation to found our country. Often they fell short of their aspirations, as they themselves would admit. But they achieved much more than their contemporaries believed was possible to found and establish a country based on ideas of freedom, individual rights, representative government and the “pursuit of happiness.”

The Dames honor their ancestors’ achievements and sacrifices and are committed to communicating the ideals they set for our country. Our mission to preserve the important sites of the past and to promote education about the past, while honoring patriotic ideals and those who defend them, has never been more relevant.

We acknowledge the debt we owe to our Dames' founders, who by example and planning set us on the road to continue to do our part going forward. We take this opportunity to recommit to sharing our ancestors’ legacy through the creativity and commitment of all Dames.

These reflections are taken from a history written for the Illinois Society's 125th anniversary.

Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery

The Rest of the Story

HISTORY HIGHLIGHTS

by Dorothy Pratt , Indiana Society

On November 30, 1803, a ceremony in New Orleans transferred its governance from Spain to France. Just three weeks later on December 20, General James Wilkinson arrived to take control for the United States, thereby confirming the Louisiana Purchase. At that very moment Lewis, Clark and the Corps of Discovery had already settled for the winter at Fort Mandan in what is now North Dakota. They were two-thirds of the way through their journey to the Pacific with the Rockies yet to conquer.

President Thomas Jefferson commissioned the team of explorers months before the Louisiana land purchase. Meriwether Lewis, who had been Jefferson’s personal secretary, was sophisticated and well-educated. William Clark, a wealthy and influential frontiersman, was brother to the famed Revolutionary War hero George Rogers Clark. They chose frontiersmen or military veterans to accompany them.

Jefferson, who never met a scientific expedition he didn’t like, charged the men to explore the reaches of the Missouri River, to find a passage to the Pacific, to establish trade with the native tribes, to document flora and fauna and to create an annotated map that could be used for land claims. As the Corps journeyed west, they were to act in a peaceful manner and avoid conflict.

For the most part, the Corps did as instructed. They explored beyond the source of the Missouri River all the way to the Pacific. They kept extensive records and documented their findings; they sent samples back to Jefferson, even keeping one prairie dog alive—to the joy of the President.

Dealing with local inhabitants was more complicated. The men managed to travel among the local tribes, only rarely resorting to intimidation. In line with the prejudices of the time, Lewis and Clark referred to natives as “children.” Yet it was a native woman who saved their lives. Sacagawea was a captive of the Mandan tribe and married to one of the French trappers at the fort. She joined the Corps of Discovery because they were heading back to her people. When the Corps was discovered by a raiding party after they crossed the Rockies, in one of history’s unbelievable coincidences, Sacagawea recognized her brother as the leader of the party. The result was unexpected hospitality from a group that the Corps had feared to meet.

The biggest danger they faced was one that they did not know. The Spanish saw their excursion as a threat. They were tipped off by the corrupt General Wilkinson; though he had taken control of New Orleans for the United States, he was a double agent. The Spanish failed in four attempts to find the Corps, although at one point they barely missed them. Far less lucky was a second team of explorers, also commissioned by Jefferson, which was captured by the Spanish and taken to Mexico. The threat to Lewis and Clark had been real.

On the Corps’ return from the wilderness, its members were fêted as heroes. Lewis became the governor of the Upper Louisiana territory but died young. Clark was governor of the Missouri territory and he raised Sacagawea’s son. Sacagawea’s fate is unknown, though her husband and his family continued to be influential leaders in St. Louis. Several of the men who liked the West stayed there. John

Colter found Yellowstone during a harrowing experience with a violent tribe. No one believed his stories about geysers. Clark’s slave, York, left for Tennessee and historians debate whether he was freed or not. Lewis’ notebooks and Clark’s annotated map were both published after a long delay.

The question is what good these men actually did. Their journey was indeed spectacular, even

if the narrative departs from the truth. The journals and maps were late to appear and the notes languished in inaccessible libraries. The samples so carefully sent east withered and disintegrated. But the story has survived for a reason. It captured the imagination of this young country and appeared to prove that its possibilities are endless, if individuals would only try.

Along the Way Fort Clatsop

by Judy Matarazzo , Oregon Society

If you follow the trail of the Lewis and Clark expedition, the last stop is Fort Clatsop on the Oregon Coast, located along the Lewis and Clark River at the north end of the Clatsop Plains. In December of 1805 the expedition encamped at the site they judiciously selected for their winter quarters. Fort Clatsop was completed by January 1806 and the expedition finally departed in March 1806.

Fort Clatsop gradually diminished through natural deterioration and active removal. By the 1850s, all surface traces had disappeared. Based on archaeological excavations in 1948 and Clark’s original sketch, a reconstruction of the fort was completed in 1955. The site was designated as Fort Clatsop National Memorial in 1956. Subsequent fire destruction would result in the site’s reconstruction in 2006.

Oregon Dames contributed to preservation efforts at Fort Clatsop in 1961 with the gift of a drinking fountain. A commemorative plaque noting its preservation efforts was placed on the fountain. The many visitors who stopped to drink from the fountain surely wondered about The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America! Recently, the U.S. Department of the Interior contacted the Society as the fountain does not conform to ADA and plumbing codes. The plaque was returned and remains archived at the Hoover-Minthorn House Museum.

Many Oregon Dames are descendants of those who contributed to the fort’s restoration, and many trace their lineage to pioneers looking for a better life, much like the pilgrims who arrived in 1620. This Society hopes to participate in the current renovation of the fort and impress upon others the importance of honoring the memory of ancestors whose ability, valor, sufferings and achievements can inspire and stimulate a spirit of true patriotism.

Lewis and Clark Tennessee Legacy

by Nancy Montgomery , Tennessee Society, Knoxville Town Committee

Relative to the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Volunteer State— Tennessee, admitted to the union in 1796, is perhaps best known as the location of Meriwether Lewis’ mysterious death. However, Fort Southwest Point, a frontier garrison in eastern Tennessee, played an important role in the recruitment of soldiers for the Lewis and Clark expedition. In 1803 Meriwether Lewis had written Major William MacRae, the fort’s commander, and asked his help in securing Volunteers who would meet Lewis’ requirements. Eight Volunteers were identified as being suitable for the expedition.

When the Volunteers did not arrive at the expedition’s winter quarters in the St. Louis area, a woodsman and interpreter, George Drouillard, was employed to fetch them from Fort Southwest Point. Drouillard returned in December with the eight recruits. Following training during the remainder of the winter and into the spring, four of the eight soldiers were

Tapproved by the captains. They were Corporal Richard Warfington and Privates Hugh Hall, Thomas P. Howard, and John Potts.

The records of the expedition show clearly that the men from Fort Southwest Point served ably and made important contributions to the success of the expedition. The three privates were recognized during the expedition by having creeks and lakes named after them. Corporal Warfington was assigned to lead a return party back to St. Louis and in April 1805 he and his crew started their return. Warfington had charge of the precious journals, along with other records of the first year's travel: botanical specimens, preserved animal specimens, plus a live prairie dog and six live magpies.

Fort Southwest Point and the George Drouillard Recruiting Trail are now officially marked in Kingston, Tennessee, dedicated as a part of the eastern legacy of the Lewis and Clark story.

Great American Treasures

he Tennessee Dames continue the Volunteer spirit in support of its museum property Travellers Rest Historic House Museum in Nashville, Tennessee. The house construction was begun in 1799, just a few years before the Lewis and Clark expedition, by Judge John Overton. He was an early resident of Nashville, lawyer, traveling circuit court judge and friend to President Andrew Jackson. The house remained in the Overton family until 1946. After receiving the house and three acres in 1954 from the Louisville & Nashville Railroad, the Tennessee Dames began a period of research and preservation work that has kept the house and grounds alive and active to this day in partnership with the Travellers Rest Historic House Museum, Inc. founded in 1989.

Great American Treasures showcases this house museum and considerably more about NSCDAaffiliated historic sites and collections online at greatamericantreasures.org.

First Lady Lou Henry Hoover

by Kay Fenton Smith , Iowa Society

In August 2021, the Iowa Society collaborated with the Hoover Presidential Foundation to sponsor several performances of First Lady Lou across the state. The one-woman play, written by Rebecca Christian, celebrates the remarkable life of First Lady Lou Henry Hoover who was born in Waterloo, Iowa in 1874.

Lou grew up in Iowa and California. She loved camping, fishing and exploring outdoors. Her parents raised Lou and her younger sister, Jean, with the belief that girls could do anything boys could, a rare sentiment at the time.

Lou’s interest in the natural world led her to attend Stanford University, where she became the first woman to earn a degree in geology from the school in 1898. There she met a lab assistant named Bert, who was also a native Iowan. On February 10, 1899, Lou married Herbert Hoover at her parents’ home in Monterey, California. The next day, they set sail for China on a course that would take them from Asia to Europe and eventually to the White House. They had two sons, Herbert Charles and Allan Henry.

Wherever the Hoovers went, they helped those in need through humanitarian efforts. In 1900, during the Boxer Rebellion in China, Lou helped build barricades, provide medical care and organize volunteers. Lou and Herbert lived

in London at the beginning of World War I. Both played a significant international role in the war effort, most notably getting food and supplies to 10 million civilians in occupied Belgium. Once again, Lou led volunteer organizations to help those devastated by the conflict.

At home, beginning in 1917 and throughout her life, Lou served the Girl Scouts of America in many roles including vice president, president and troop leader.

When the Hoovers resided in the White House from 1929 to 1933, First Lady Lou continued her trailblazing ways. She invited Mrs. Oscar De Priest, wife of the only AfricanAmerican congressman at the time, to a tea for congressmen’s wives. Despite harsh criticism for entertaining a Black woman at the White House, Lou extended her hospitality without prejudice. On New Year’s Day 1930, the Hoovers shook hands with well over 6,000 people. As First Lady, she also hosted performances from many cultures at the White House and made the building itself her personal history project.

Lou Henry Hoover died unexpectedly in 1944 at the age of 69. She set an outstanding example for women of all ages in a life filled with adventure, accomplishment, and public service.

Photos courtesy NSCDA-IA

A Nother Colonial America

by Christy James , Missouri Society

As Colonial Dames, we tend to think of colonial American history in terms of the 13 original colonies along the Atlantic seacoast, an area settled mostly by people from England and under British control until the War of Independence and the creation of the United States. In truth, Spain and France had established their footholds in the New World earlier than the British.

France claimed a huge expanse from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and from the Appalachians to the Rockies. They called it La Nouvelle France—New France. The rivers were their highways. By 1700, military posts and small settlements appeared along rivers and on the eastern side of the Mississippi. Ste. Genevieve was among the first settlements on the west side of the Mississippi that allowed easier access to the rich resources the land offered.

Missouri Dame Constance Mathews and her husband Harry resided in St. Louis, 60 miles to the north, where he had started a lime mining and processing operation in the 1920s. By 1949, she knew the small town of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri and recognized its historic importance. Through town friends, Mrs. Mathews heard that Miss Zoë Bolduc was selling her family home on Main Street that had been built in the late 1780s by her great-great uncle Louis Bolduc. When Mrs. Mathews learned the prospective buyer planned to raze the house and erect a filling station in its place, she convinced her husband that they needed to save this important structure.

The Mathews donated the Louis Bolduc House to the Missouri Society and assumed the cost of its restoration under the supervision of historic architect Dr. Ernest Allen Connally.

(Dr. Connally later became the first Director of Preservation for the National Park Service.) A committee of Dames was formed to research and purchase period-appropriate furnishings and fixtures to add to some Bolduc family heirlooms. The renovated, furnished house was opened to the public in 1958.

A second building, the 1815 Beauvais-Linden House, across the street from the Bolduc House, was acquired in 1961 as a clubhouse/ headquarters to encourage more Dames to become actively involved. In 1970, Missouri Dame Margaret Mathews Jenks donated the house she had purchased and restored next door to the Louis Bolduc House. This house, the Bolduc-LeMeilleur House, had been built by Louis’ granddaughter Agathe.

The Missouri Dames were at the forefront of historic preservation in Ste. Genevieve. Their efforts, not just in the restoration work but also in telling stories about its settlers and unique culture, have inspired and encouraged others. The Missouri Department of State Parks, the Foundation for the Restoration of Ste. Genevieve and numerous private individuals have acquired and restored other historic structures in the town.

In 2015 the National Park Service (NPS) released a 16-year study that revealed over 30 extant vertical log homes in Ste. Genevieve. It was the only NPS study completed during that period

whose subject met all the criteria required for the establishment of a National Park. Congress authorized the creation of the Ste. Genevieve National Historical Park in 2018.

By 2018 this campus had grown. It now consists of five historic houses and a museum building. The reality of providing ongoing sustainability, through financial and personal time involvement exceeded the Dames capacity. After 70 years of stewardship, the Missouri Dames made the difficult, but wise decision to pass along future stewardship and ownership of these historic structures to new caregivers.

To help facilitate the establishment of the National Park, the 1794 Jean-Baptiste Valle House was donated to the Department of the Interior. The other four historic houses, Louis Bolduc, Bolduc-LeMeilleur, Beauvais-Linden and François Vallé II as well as the museum building—The Centre for French Colonial Life— were donated to French Colonial America, a notfor-profit organization. Several Missouri Dames are among its Board members.

The Missouri Dames retain ownership of the carefully collected artifacts, some 795 objects, which are on permanent loan to French Colonial America and enrich the interpretation of the houses.

Photo credits on page 2 Dames

IsA lt m i N es & Horseshoe Expedition

by Lynn Goldsmith , West Virginia Society

n 1716, Colonial Governor Alexander Spotswood of Virginia saw the necessity for the exploration of the wilderness west of the Allegheny Mountains to the interior of Virginia (now West Virginia). Spotswood organized a large party of men for the expedition who adopted the pledge, Sic jurat transcendere mont e—translated as “Thus he swears to cross the mountains.”

After the expedition was completed, Governor Spotswood gave each officer of the expedition a gold stickpin in the shape of a horseshoe inscribed with the pledge and encrusted with small stones. Today, the 1716 expedition is known as The Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Expedition.

In honor of the historical tradition and to promote the study of West Virginia history, the Golden Horseshoe Society was revitalized. Since 1931, the Golden Horseshoe test is administered annually to all eighth-grade students to test their knowledge of West Virginia history. The students with the highest scores are “knighted” and receive a golden horseshoe similar to the original horseshoe awarded by Governor

Spotswood. Nathan Jones, Executive Director of The CraikPatton House, has tutored students for several years. Last year one of Jones’ students was “knighted” for receiving the highest score for the year.

In the 1700s, there were few settlements in the land that would become West Virginia. The frontier territory extended from the Valley of Virginia west to the Ohio River and north and south from Pennsylvania to the Carolinas. Many different Indian tribes used the mountains and valleys as hunting and burial grounds. In 1763, after the French and Indian War, King George III banned Virginia’s settlers from making new settlements west of the Allegheny Mountains.

However, in 1770 George Washington led a party of men to explore the Ohio and Kanawha River region. Dr. James Craik traveled with the expedition, and along with Washington became a landowner in the Kanawha Valley. Because of this, Reverend James Craik, grandson of Dr. Craik, came to the Valley to live and built the historic Craik-Patton house, the official headquarters of NSCDA-WV and today owned by Craik-Patton, Inc.

The westward expeditions and settlement continued for many reasons. As Scottish, Irish and German immigrants arrived in Virginia, they often pushed westward looking for land to settle. These settlers were not loyal to King George III and Virginian immigrants strongly opposed the English proclamations. Since the early days of America’s colonization, family land went to the oldest son and younger sons had headed west to make their own fortunes. Many went to the Kanawha Valley. Some of the early settlers in the Kanawha Valley were the Ruffner, Lewis, Dickinson and Craik families.

The younger sons of these families and others were looking for business opportunities. Salt mines seemed the answer. The upper Kanawha Valley salt industry reached its height in the mid-1800s, but declined after the Civil War. Before the war, the salt industry employed both enslaved and local men. At its height, the salt industry involved almost 3,000 enslaved men.

A local myth recounts that Booker T. Washington earned his money for his formal education by working as an enslaved man. Research shows that this is not true. Booker T. Washington’s stepfather came to Malden, West Virginia in the Kanawha Valley during the Civil War along with Booker T. Washington, age

eight, and his mother Jane. His brother John followed in 1865. Malden was a multi-racial community of laborers from the salt mines and Booker T., John and their stepfather worked in the mines. It was in Malden that Booker T. learned the value of education from his mother and other neighbors. He left Malden to pursue higher education and become a famous educator and author.

Today, salt mining flourishes again in the Upper Kanawha Valley. Two seventh-generation Dickinson descendants have opened a new artisan salt mine near Malden on a family farm. The state-of-the-art business uses solar evaporation to remove the water from the salt that is extracted from the ancient underground sea that sits under West Virginia. Early salt mines boiled down brine in furnaces. The young entrepreneurs have honored their roots by calling the mine the J. Q. Dickinson Salt-Works.

OPPOSITE: Governor Spotswood and the Knights of the Golden Horseshoe Crossing the Blue Ridge (Page 129 of J.A.C. Chandler’s Makers of Virginia History. New York: Silver, Burdett & Co., 1904)

ABOVE: Depiction of the old salt mine, from a woodcut, made before 1900 (Courtesy: J. Q. Dickinson Salts)

Society Circular

NEWS & VIEWS ACROSS THE REGIONS

Region I

The following Societies have prioritized ingenuity and a willingness to try partnerships, new approaches to potential candidates, creative interSociety programming/ fundraising and caring approaches to some of our oldest and most beloved Society members.

Arizona had success with a targeted candidate tea where the application process was introduced to potential Dames. The event was such a success that the Arizona Society will dedicate one of its next meetings to that idea to allow more Dames to meet potential candidates. The presentation on the Society will also serve to engage current members.

California completed two successful Zoom programs this spring. One presentation was given by Sarah Torney on the 115th anniversary of the San Francisco earthquake through an inspired “then and now” in situ photo series. It was a fresh take on local history from a Young Dame with deep California roots. Later, a Stanford University archivist gave a Zoom presentation about images from Sunset magazine in the 1950s. The Thomas Church photos helped

c aro W i LL iam S Vice President residing in Region I

promote attractive images of California that in part led to 54% increase in population in the western states after World War II.

Colorado held a successful Membership Tea and Workshop. Vetted potential candidates were invited who were known to the Colorado Dames from other lineage societies and whose ancestors are listed on the Register of Ancestors. During the event, Dames gave a background presentation on the NSCDA and the Colorado Society, reviewed the membership/ application process and assisted these women in working on their lineage papers.

Kansas presented a lovely watercolor Kansas Society Seal Certificate to Virginia Lee Carson Garver in recognition of her 101st birthday and 70th anniversary as a member of the NSCDA-KS. The Kansas Society also renamed its local history award in honor of this dedicated Dame.

Oregon is planning a 40th anniversary for The HooverMinthorn House Museum with a grand celebration in connection with the city of Newburg. Also planned is

an outdoor lecture to share the new rural health care program collaboration with the University of Portland.

Washington held its annual Non-Auction Challenge Fundraiser and found tremendous financial success from a single solicitation letter! The Society also hosts a successful garden party every fall. This member/ non-member event is an easy, social way to meet potential candidates.

Wyoming found a great way to broaden its outreach by organizing a community event titled, "Is the Constitution Still Relevant?". The event was held in concert with the United States Daughters of 1812 and Daughters of the American Revolution. Timed for Constitution Day, this program drew an audience of 150. It featured a mock debate by students of Sheridan High School’s award-winning We the People AP class, trivia questions about the Constitution, and a panel discussion that included representatives from law, politics and higher education. Wyoming Public Broadcasting Service filmed and subsequently aired a segment several times.

Region II

The Illinois Society has worked with the City of Chicago on a short feature film detailing Clarke House Museum, Chicago’s oldest extant house. Now available online, the film—A Virtual Tour of Clarke House, enables the Illinois Society to carry the message of Clarke House’s significance to a global audience. The Illinois Society returned to in-person/hybrid activities as soon as state regulations permitted.

In a nod to history through the dramatic arts, the Iowa Society has teamed with the Hoover Presidential Foundation to bring to Iowa audiences a five-performance, one-woman show, First Lady Lou. The great-granddaughter of President Herbert Hoover and Lou Henry Hoover, Leslie Hoover-Lauble, joins the tour for a Q&A between acts. The Iowa Dames are collaborating with Iowa Wesleyan University for its long-delayed celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and the Women’s Suffrage Movement, and with the University and the Friends of the HarlanLincoln House to sponsor author C.J. King on campus for a special presentation titled, "The Spirited Lincoln Women." In her talk, King will pose as Peggy Beckwith, greatgranddaughter of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, and the last of the female Lincolns.

Kentucky Dames are reaching new audiences. In an ongoing effort to gain American Alliance of Museums accreditation, they recently welcomed Kentucky State University faculty and staff in an advisory capacity, with one faculty member also serving on the Board’s Education Committee. Liberty Hall Historic Site opens its grounds to community yoga classes and gardening programs.

Michigan Dames are thrilled to reestablish their working relationship with the Society of Colonial Wars in support of the Fort St. Joseph Project and the related Niles History Center.

Minnesota Dames help administer a scholarship, usually awarded to three international students, at the University of Minnesota. This endowed scholarship was started by a generous Dame and is continued with ongoing contributions by the Society and individual members. This Society also liaises through board seats with the Alexander Ramsey House, an historic home formerly owned by two Dames who subsequently donated the house to the Minnesota Historical Society.

The Missouri Society continues its preservation work through an ongoing collaboration with French Colonial America, which now owns its Center for French

Colonial Life that houses the Dames’ collection of colonial period artifacts. Missouri Dames also enjoy shared activities with the Missouri Society of Colonial Wars, including the development of a joint Patriotic Service initiative to benefit the Focus Marines Foundation.

The Ohio Society eagerly awaits the full reopening of the Cincinnati Art Museum, where its curated Colonial and Federal period decorative arts collection is showcased in the Dames Gallery. Dames also anticipate a return to hosting their ever-popular Colonial Dames Lecture and Tea at the museum. This Society envisions welcoming the return of visitors of all ages to its Kemper Log House/Heritage Village Museum.

The Wisconsin Society’s Historic Indian Agency House and the Kilbourntown House/ Benjamin Church House are working with multiple partners, including Milwaukee Historical Society, Milwaukee County Parks and Friends of Estabrook Park, to bring to the community a Saturday farmers’ market, online museum tours and special programming. An additional Wisconsin Humanities Council grant will support this Society’s work with Ho-Chunk Nation Museum and Cultural Center to further connect with the stories that have helped shape this nation.

Region III

The Alabama Society’s Condé-Charlotte Museum has helped coordinate Explore Mobile, which offers free public access to a local consortium of house museums.

Thanks to Dames’ generosity, the Florida Society lends its support to FOAR From Home, which is a team of veterans who row 3,000 nautical miles across the Atlantic ocean to raise funds and awareness for PTSD and veteran suicide. Drawing considerable publicity, the crew with their 27-foot, high-tech boat Courageous was present to meet the public at the Society’s Ximenez-Fatio House Museum in St. Augustine. Full disclosure: it did not go unnoticed that the Florida Society logo is displayed as a sponsor on the boat’s exterior!

The Georgia Society’s Andrew Low House Museum joined with other Savannah museums for three days of free, public programs to explore the cultural legacies of enslaved people in Georgia’s coastal region.

The Louisiana Society works with the State of Louisiana to assist at two state-owned historic sites, Kent Plantation House and Oakley Plantation.

m imi m yer h ur S t Vice President residing in Region III

Fall events will honor John James Audubon, who stayed at Oakley, painting and serving as a tutor. Notably, Audubon painted 32 of his famous birds at Oakley. The Baton Rouge Town Committee is included as an event sponsor.

The North Carolina Society’s Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens collaborates with the Arts Council on both gallery walks and on a planned exhibition of works by a local African-American artist.

The Oklahoma Society partners with the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence to support students and teachers with curricula that highlight early American history during the statewide Colonial Day at the Capitol.

The South Carolina Society works with six museums, five nationally renowned houses, and four scenic parks, as well as several historic houses of worship and public buildings, to form Charleston’s Museum Mile. Collaboration by three colonial sites in Charleston, including the Dames’ The Powder Magazine, has resulted in two noteworthy educational programs, "Rebels and Redcoats" and "Patriots, Pirates and Powder."

The Tennessee Society Nashville Town Committee continues its work with Metro Nashville Archives, a two decades-long project with implications for the future. This project was initiated by Dames and has since grown, thanks to 375 community volunteers from across Davison County who have recorded inscriptions from 505 cemeteries and gathered information about an additional 100 burial sites that were either lost, removed or destroyed. Beyond the Dames-developed website and subsequent collection of GPS tracking data to locate burial sites, the scope of this project is expanded with a more recent Tennessee Historical Commission grant of $37,000 to the Metro Historical Commission for ongoing cemetery surveys and development of a cemetery preservation plan.

The Texas Society’s NeillCochran House Museum is currently working closely with faculty and students at the University of Texas to conduct research into the site’s slave quarters and address Austin’s difficult racial history.

Region IV

The Region IV Corporate Societies have not let the pandemic break their spirits or their connections to other organizations.

The Delaware Dames have ongoing collaborations with many organizations, including The Delaware Historical Society, the Delaware Art Museum and the Society of Colonial Wars. The Little Church, the original Presbyterian Meeting House built in 1740, was saved from demolition through collaboration with the Society of Colonial Wars.

In DC, President Marta Dunetz added a Board position titled Community Relations to encourage a variety of joint ventures with the Society of Colonial Wars, the Maryland and Virginia Dames, as well as Arlington Cemetery’s Military Women’s Memorial, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary in 2022.

The Maryland Dames’ collaboration with Baltimore’s Mount Clare at Carroll Park Commission will help to tell a more complete story of all who lived and worked at Mount Clare, the Georgian-style plantation (now Carroll Park) and the adjacent Baltimore Iron Works. This story includes

e LL en b oomer Vice President residing in Region IV

enslaved Africans, European indentured servants and convict laborers.

The New Jersey Dames held virtual events at Peachfield, their 18th-century museum property and headquarters, including several virtual teas, for which they won a History Project award from the Burlington County Board of Commissioners. Their Coffee and Collections series, with presentations such as "February’s Forefathers and Foremothers," enabled collaborations with Mount Vernon, Morristown National Historical Park, the Harvard Museum of Art and the regional conservation center in Philadelphia.

The New York Society had Dave Woodruff, Co-Founder and Chief Development Officer of the Bob Woodruff Foundation, speak to its membership about veterans' needs and how best to support them. The New York Dames hope to award a funded scholarship to two children of veterans for a week at the Adventures in Time summer program at Van Cortlandt House Museum.

Through its museum property, Stenton, the Pennsylvania Society has been a leader in building Historic Germantown

(HG), a consortium of 18 historic sites and cultural attractions in northwest Philadelphia that collaborates on public programs, community engagement, marketing, fundraising and resource-sharing (www. freedomsbackyard.com). The Pennsylvania Dames are helping ensure that HG sites offer meaningful and relevant programs to the largely African-American communities that surround these sites.

Collaborating with the Berkeley Society Scholars, the Rhode Island Dames have Dames Drop-In Tuesdays where they learn about Bishop George Berkeley’s time on Aquidneck Island. Throughout the pandemic, Rhode Island Dames strived to cultivate community partnerships with academia, historians, preservationists and architects, environmentalists, local museums and tourism organizations.

The Virginia Dames hosted the Annual Gatsby Picnic, in collaboration with the Art Deco Society of Virginia. In November, the Virginia Dames will again host the popular Annual Oyster Roast at Wilton with the Society of Colonial Wars and the Sons of the Revolution.

TEA PARTY of 1891

FROM THE ARCHIVES

by Sally Connelly, National Historian

The Dames have always been linked to family and extraordinary women. So, it is not surprising that a great deal is owed to the Wharton Family of Philadelphia and two like-minded cousins who held a tea on Wednesday, April 8, 1891, to discuss forming a colonial society with a select group of family and friends.

History tells us that this meeting took place in the parlor of Fanny Redwood Hollingsworth Arnold (1833–1893), who with her cousin Anne had handwritten over 30 invitations. It was Fanny, a supporter of decorative arts, who hosted the first meeting in her impressive home on Locust Street in Philadelphia. Her younger cousin Anne Hollingsworth Wharton (1845–1928), a published historian, coined the term “Colonial Dames.”

many barriers for early women historians. Of course, Fanny and Anne invited their cousins, the lively sisters Hitty (for Mehitable) and Elizabeth Wharton, as well as several Hollingsworth cousins including Rebecca Clifford Hollingsworth (Mrs. William Logan Fox, 1856–1935) whose husband was a direct descendant of James Logan of Stenton. Also, members of the Morris, Rush, Franklin, Markoe, Mifflin and Wistar families were present. In attendance was the venerable Julia Williams Rush Biddle (1832–1898), who became the first President of the Pennsylvania Society.

By 1891, Anne Hollingsworth Wharton was considered an authority on colonial culture and was working on the final drafts of Through Colonial Doorways that would be published in 1893. She was particularly interested in the role of women in colonial times. Recognized later by the University of Pennsylvania, she broke

Married women, daughters of politicians, art collectors, Civil War nurses and widows, sisters, writers as well as separated and single women of all ages attended the 1891 tea. What is most remarkable is that by the time tea had been poured and desserts passed, the Pennsylvania Society and its Board of Managers had been launched.

This article is part of a larger history being written on the women founders of NSCDA. (Letter—from the Archives of NSCDA, Dumbarton House)

F r ANces “FANN y” r edwood holliNgsworth A r Nold (1833 –1893; PA –1)

Fanny hosted the founders for tea in 1891. There is little written about her though we know she had an interest in colonial history. She would die on September 9, 1893, just a few years after the tea party.

In a moving tribute to Fanny that was read at the 1893 meeting of the Pennsylvania Society, her cousin Anne wrote that Fanny was “the prime mover and inspiration to our whole foundation, state, and national.” Anne credited her with forming a Society, “what it is today, an independent state organization, with a constitutional basis sufficiently broad to admit the entire union with the other twelve original states.” To recognize her contribution, the Pennsylvania Society created a scholarship award in her name in 1894.

This remarkable woman was also a member of the Women’s Centennial Executive Committee in 1876 and treasurer of the Pennsylvania Museum and School for Industrial Arts (which later became the Philadelphia Museum of Art). A few months after the Society formed in Philadelphia, Fanny presided over the first meeting of the Delaware Society.

ABOVE: “Colonial Days and Dames” (1894) was based on research Anne completed for the Centennial Exposition of 1876. Source—Frank H. Norton, ed., Frank Leslie’s Historical Register of the United States Centennial Exposition, 1876 (New York: Frank Leslie’s Publishing House, 1877)

A NNe holliNgsworth wh A rtoN (1845 –1928; PA –2)

Anne was the first NSCDA Historian. In 1880 at the age of 35 Anne published the History of the Wharton Family and was a novelist, an historian of women in early America and a national lecturer.

She was 46 years old and already a respected author when she became a founder of the Pennsylvania and the National Society in 1891. She made it her duty to be meticulous about recording the early history of the Society, which explains why we have a plethora of early historical material to draw on today.

Anne was recognized by the University of Pennsylvania in 1924 at age 79 when she was awarded an honorary Litt. D.

ABOVE:

Anne Hollingsworth Wharton (Llias & Goldlnsry, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

We Calle d Him Uncle Mac

ANCESTOR’S ALMANAC

by Margaret “Peggy” DeStefano , Colorado Society & Mary Sikora, South Carolina Society & Ohio Society

Our great-great Uncle Mac (John McClellan Prather, 1864–1938) was the eternal student. Our great-great grandfather Horatio Seymour (Harry) Prather always wished he could have his brother’s life but he was healthy and strong and needed on the farm. Uncle Mac was allergic, very allergic, and was allowed to pursue his education.

First Uncle Mac went to Antioch College in Ohio and received his Bachelor of Science in math. Then he went to Harvard University where he received his Master of Science in biology. His thesis was titled The Early Stages in the Development of the Hypophysis of Amia Calva . Uncle Mac then went to the University of Chicago where he received his PhD in biology.

As an undergraduate at Antioch, where he returned to teach, he was described in the school newspaper as someone who was known to study without heat in his room because he was saving money. The paper also alluded to a failed love affair. When he came back to teach, the same newspaper said he was well-known and well-liked but that he stayed close to his rooms.

Later, after other endeavors, we discover Uncle Mac in St. Louis, Missouri where he taught at Beaumont High School. During that time he decided to identify all of the flora and fauna in St. Louis County. His research is contained in a book called Report of Fieldwork in Geology (8 December 1895). It has since disappeared.

St. Louis became his permanent home. On visits back to his hometown of Cincinnati, our relatives would describe Uncle Mac as eccentric. When he came to town, he was dressed shoddily and carried oranges and peanuts in his pockets. He ate them, peels and shells included, exclusively. He stayed in “flophouses,” which was our mother Myrl Prather Sweeney’s expression for run-down hotels.

When Uncle Mac died in Egypt in December, 1938, it was the height of the Great Depression and he died a very rich man. He was in Egypt doing research where he gave directions in his will, “If death occurs in some foreign country, I direct that my body be buried under the direction of the proper authorities in some wild unfrequented spot near at hand, if permitted by law, and left without demarcation of any sort. If interment in such a place be forbidden by law or proper authority, I direct that my body be cremated at the least possible expense and the ashes be strewn over some natural landscape …”

At the time of his death, his friend Edward Gocke of St. Louis said the former teacher was an authority of the native birds of Missouri. “Nothing pleased him more than to don heavy shoes and walking clothes and spend the day in the country. He spent an entire summer vacation in St. Charles County in the study of birds there. He published numbers of scientific articles on the topic.”

Uncle Mac’s work did not stop with his death. Every penny he earned, saved and invested went to his three alma maters for the study of biology, zoology and botany. He also bequeathed money to the Ethical Society of St. Louis. This fund, called the John M. Prather Fund for Education in Ethics, was to pay for eminent men and women “with a magnetism and manner of delivery that will attract large numbers of thinking people. The lectures must be free and have decidedly ethical import free from creed or dogma.”

We know our great grandfather was proud of his brother. We are lucky to have these men as part of our ancestry. We feel they both provided a “gateway to history’s future.”

2715 Q Street, NW

Washington, DC 20007-3041

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Ages of Dumbarton

Four historical paintings by Peter Waddell

Commissioned by the Ladies of the Dumbarton House Board to celebrate the lives of the women who influenced and shaped the Dumbarton House, our National Headquarters

PICTURED ON THE FRONT COVER

Series Debut | Commission 1 of 4

AT HOME ON THE HEIGHTS (DUMBARTON HOUSE 1865)

by

Peter Waddell, 2020, Oil on canvas

In 1865, the property currently known as Dumbarton House was called Bellevue. It was the home of Lulie Rittenhouse. She ensured the preservation of the Montrose grounds, a neighboring villa, as a public park and playground. The painting depicts Lulie gazing out on the prospect of early Washington.