History
The Extended History of the Rochester Chapter NSDAR
In November 1902, a group of women held a meeting with the State Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The purpose of this meeting was to determine what was required to form a local chapter in Rochester, Minnesota. The requirement was that there had to be twelve ladies with approved applications by the National Society in Washington, D.C. By the time the June 1903 meeting was announced, they had the necessary number of approved applications to form the Rochester Chapter NSDAR. At the November 1903 meeting, a full slate of officers was named, and the Rochester Chapter was formed.
Over the last 100 years, the Rochester Chapter has remained active in the community. In the first decade, donations were made to the YMCA Building Fund and the Women’s Building at the Soldiers’ Home, currently known as the Minnesota Veterans Home, in Minneapolis, and prizes were donated for school essays. The Rochester Chapter raised enough money to furnish one room at the local YMCA. The Rochester Chapter NSDAR was involved in a local project with an Indian burial ground north of Rochester called Indian Heights Park.
It was in 1910 when the Rochester Chapter decided to make a tribute to the pioneer days by attempting to purchase the William Dee Log Cabin built in 1862. The owner of the log house gave the dwelling to the City of Rochester in honor of Dr. William Worrall Mayo to be presented at the opening of Mayo Park. Today, this log house is located at the Olmsted County Historical Society. During this same period, the Minnesota State DAR Society (MNSSDAR) decided to purchase the Sibley House Historic site in Mendota, Minnesota. The Rochester Chapter joined the Sibley House Association along with the other chapters in the state.
In 1914, the Rochester Chapter regent, who was also the founder of the chapter, passed away. In her memory, the members of the chapter dedicated a sundial to honor her. The sundial was dedicated on May 28, 1914, at Mayo Park and the engraved inscription read, “Amidst Ye Flowers, I Tell Ye Hours.” Unfortunately, this sundial was placed in storage and cannot be located at the current time. Hopefully, in the future it will be found.
During WWI, the Rochester Chapter made collections to help the French Red Cross, raised money for the starving Belgian people, and helped the Boy Scouts raise money. A flag was purchased and presented to the Boy Scouts to honor their service. Donations were also made to the Olmsted County Red Cross and to the War Relief Fund.
Many of the Rochester Chapter members kept busy during the war by making jelly and grape juice for the Fort Snelling Hospital. They rolled bandages, knitted items, sewed, and worked for the Red Cross.
After the war was over, the Rochester Chapter NSDAR assisted in many local, state, national, and international projects: the women held a card party and raised money for the French Orphan Relief; they also raised money to donate to an industrial school in Tamassee, South Carolina (this school is still currently being supported by the DAR); they visited soldiers at the Rochester State Hospital and the Oronoco Sanitarium both located in Southeast Minnesota; they provided an Immigrants’ Manual and a silk flag to each new American citizen in Rochester; they sent gifts to Ellis Island; sent money to flood victims in Florida; made contributions to DAR Memorial Continental Hall, DAR Constitution Hall, and a bell tower at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania; and they sponsored a local Girl Scout at summer camp.
In 1932, in honor of George Washington’s 200th birthday, members of the Rochester Chapter planted a Washington Elm Tree at Soldier Fields Park. This tree was grafted from a tree that was located in Westchester County, New York, where Washington was headquartered at one time. A bronze plaque was placed at the base of the tree.
In 1937, the Rochester Chapter started sponsoring a DAR Good Citizens Award to a high school student; this student was called a DAR Good Citizenship Pilgrim. To honor the Northwest Territorial Centennial, the chapter sponsored a float in the downtown parade. The theme of the float was “Betsy Ross making the first flag.” It was appropriately decorated in red, white, and blue.
Two years later, the women found themselves sewing for another war: the beginning of WWII. The local radio station provided airtime for five DAR programs. The women remained very active on the local, state, and national levels: they collected magazines, toys and books for Indian children; collected stamps for the veterans; presented 80 flags to new citizens; sent a Girl Scout to summer camp; presented two history essay medals; sponsored a DAR Good Citizenship Pilgrim; collected contributions towards the Valley Forge bell tower, Ellis Island, and DAR schools; and assisted the war relief effort as well as on-going work for the Red Cross.
These women also thought of those injured in the war by participating in a Red Cross mobile blood drive. Every DAR chapter in Minnesota pulled together and they were able to provide a truck and station wagon fully equipped as a mobile blood plasma unit. There were 32 of these units nationwide. These units were maintained throughout the war by money donated by the DAR.
After WWII, the Rochester Chapter NSDAR still remained very active in the community. For example, they sent clothing to St. Mary’s School for Indian girls at Springfield, South Dakota; and they sent books to the Kate Duncan Smith School.
In the 1960s, 49 members of the Rochester Chapter NSDAR Promotions were: showed antiques representing 75 years of the DAR; presented a large outdoor flag to the YMCA; donated 60 flags to children in Fountain, Minnesota in grades 1-4; donated money to the restoration project of old houses in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and took up a collection for the Freedom Foundation Center.
In the 1970s, the Methodist Hospital received a flag pole, and the chapter members were invited to a play at the civic theater. Meeting attendance dwindled during the years that followed. After the autumn of 1976, no meetings were held. Dues were still paid for all members, but that was all.
Then, in 1979, the Rochester Chapter NSDAR was brought back to life. The Post-Bulletin advertised the newly reformed organization and invited those who believed they qualified to contact a chapter representative. The chapter rapidly grew and was up and running again. By the end of 1979, there were 19 paid members. They continued the tradition of being active in the community by donating a copy of the DAR Patriot Index and three supplementals to the Olmsted County History Center (now known as the History Center of Olmsted County). For safekeeping, they voted to have all the chapter’s past records placed in the archives at the Olmsted County Historical Society. They started making yearly program booklets and a chapter history scrapbook was created; they delivered lap robes to the Veterans Administration Hospital in Minneapolis; they volunteered at Sibley House; and a Norway Pine was planted at the Olmsted County Historical Society in honor of George Washington’s 250th birthday. They also made an “every name index” to the 1878 plat map of Olmsted County, in which over 2,000 names were indexed. In 1983, the chapter won a gold ribbon for their yearbook.
In 1985, the Rochester Chapter NSDAR hosted the Minnesota DAR State Convention. It was headquartered at the Kahler Hotel. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other plans - a major blizzard developed and much of the convention had to be cancelled. In 1986, a chapter of the Children of the American Revolution - C.A.R. was formed. It was named the Pipestone Society. The C.A.R. gives young people leadership training for their future and the opportunity to make history come alive. The Pipestone Society planted a Norway maple near the William Dee Log Cabin at the Olmsted County Historical Society in 1987.
In the 1990s, there were many excellent programs at the Rochester Chapter meetings. These programs were designed to enrich the members. They covered a variety of topics: patriotism, American history, education, American heritage, and national defense. These programs still continue at most meetings currently held. The chapter’s involvement in the 1990s was still on a national, state, and local level. On a local level, they cleaned and winterized the William Dee Log Cabin; they participated in the annual Memorial Day observance; they donated books to the Spring Valley Public Library; and they held an annual award ceremony for the local and area students who have won the American History and DAR Good Citizens awards.
The Rochester Chapter NSDAR celebrated its 100th anniversary in November 2003. It was a very fun year. We had four DAR women dress in 1903 costumes and ride in a horse drawn carriage in the RochesterFest Parade. They also hosted the Minnesota State Conference in October of 2003 at the Radisson Hotel in downtown. They donated a memorial bench to Quarry Hill Nature Center in honor of all of the deceased Rochester Chapter NSDAR members from 1903-2003. They ended the year by making a donation to Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial: a large concrete pad that is the home for an Iraqi War cannon and a World War I cannon. A special granite paver acknowledges the Rochester Chapter NSDAR and its 100th Anniversary.
Rochester, Minnesota celebrated the 150th Sesquicentennial anniversary in September 2004 at the Mayo Civic Auditorium. The Rochester Chapter NSDAR created a display to celebrate its history in Rochester, Minnesota.
In 2007, several of the Rochester Chapter members started selling tributes for a special “Veterans Day Edition” of the Rochester Post-Bulletin. They joined forces with the Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial committee to pay tribute to all veterans by helping create this special edition. The funds this chapter received for their part in this special edition was enough for the chapter to start a mission endowment fund for the future. The Rochester Chapter NSDAR has edited, sold ads, and written articles for the special “Veterans Day Edition” of the Rochester Post-Bulletin. This special edition is distributed to over 48,000 individuals and businesses in the Southeast Minnesota area. The average size of the “Veterans Day Edition” is 65 pages in length and has won awards at the National DAR level. This publication continues to this day.
An endowment fund was established for the purpose of providing financial support to the chapter for community projects that reflect the organizations objectives of - historic preservation, education, and patriotism. It provides perpetual funding, as only the interest earned each year can be used to continue our activities in the community. The interest generated is added to a separate mission fund checking account which was set up to meet the annual expenses of these projects. The endowment fund reached $40,000 in 2017. Since the endowment fund was established in 2007, the chapter has been able to do many projects in our community including sponsoring military couples to attend “Operation Welcome Home,” naturalization ceremonies, refurbishment of the William Dee log cabin, scholarships for the American History, Christopher Columbus, and the DAR Good Citizens Essay contests, matched a MNSSDAR grant for the Cutshall photos, contributed to the Restoration of the Lay Lights at the NSDAR Library, contributed to the Soldiers Field Veterans Memorial, purchased new technology equipment for the History Center of Olmsted County, purchased four ballistic shields for the Fillmore County Sheriff’s Department, and donated money to renovate a room at Miracle Lodge, Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch.
In 2007, the Rochester Chapter NSDAR increased their volunteering at the William Dee Log Cabin located at the History Center of Olmsted County by cleaning and refurbishing the fabrics in the cabin. Items were purchased or donated to be authentic to the era. Bonnets were made along with rag dolls and men’s shirts. Over 3,000 children attended “Hands-on History Days” and enjoyed hands on activities each year that include beating rugs, churning butter, doing laundry with a hand cranked wringer, and making donuts. Over the years the Rochester Chapter has continued its support of the William Dee Log Cabin by helping with the winterizing of the cabin in the Fall and the cleaning in the Spring for the new season to begin and chapter members volunteer in costume for “Hands-on History Days.” In 2011, through NSDAR Special Projects Grant money and Rochester Chapter NSDAR donations, the William Dee log cabin was able to be renovated. This included: wood preservation, bug fumigation, replacement logs, and protection of the cabin from critters.
In October 2007 and 2008, members of the Rochester Chapter participated in the Rochester “Women’s Expo.” This was an all-day event at the civic center catering to the interests and concerns of women.
The Rochester Chapter NSDAR sponsored two individuals for Community Service Awards, both of which won at the National NSDAR level. In 2007, Wayne Stillman was nominated by the chapter for the volunteer work that he had done in making the Soldier’s Field Veteran’s Memorial a reality. In 2010, Bob Bardwell was presented with the “Community Service Award.” Bob is the founder of Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch which hosts such weekends as “Operation Welcome Home” and “Wounded Warrior Weekend.”
In 2010, the Rochester Chapter started its support of “Operation Welcome Home” at Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch, and this support is continued to this day. This is a weekend retreat for returning veterans and their spouses. Rochester Chapter members help decorate the tables and serve a candlelight dinner. One couple each year is sponsored by the Rochester Chapter to attend this special weekend. One of the Rochester Chapter members makes quilts for “Quilts of Valor,” and each couple that attends the weekend receives one of the quilts that is donated by the “Quilts of Valor.”
In 2009, the Rochester Chapter became involved in the naturalization ceremonies held in Rochester. The first year they provided cake, punch, and patriotic goodie bags to the new U.S. citizens. Since then, they have been handing out patriotic goodie bags to the new U.S. citizens at each naturalization ceremony held in Rochester.
The Rochester Chapter has also done many things in support of Constitution Week, including making display boards for the U. S. Constitution. Rochester’s public library, government center and some schools displayed these boards. The Rochester Chapter also provided handouts that included: Preamble bookmarks, Pledge/American Creed cards, US Flag Code pamphlets, Rochester Chapter NSDAR business cards, “Know Your Rights,” Declaration of Independence, and many copies of a Constitution word search. The Mayor of Rochester traveled to the local schools and talked about the U. S. Constitution with the students. The Rochester Chapter sends out a poster to the schools each year providing them with details on how to schedule the mayor to speak at their school.
In 2013, chapter members from Red Wing presented a program for children at the public library. They designed a display with flags, a framed copy of the painting “The Signing of the Constitution” and a copy of the Constitution with information about its history and amendments. A patriotic “American Eagle” quilt designed and sewn by a member was on display. There were patriotic craft projects for the children to complete. A member brought her Reading Education Assistance Dog, Tori, to read with the children. The children listened to patriotic stories while gathered on Tori’s blanket and received Preamble to the Constitution bookmarks to use.
The DAR Project Patriot committee was formed and items were collected and mailed, including clothing, candy and personal care items, to the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. This committee has also collected money for phone cards. The chapter sent a total of 19 boxes of personal items to the soldiers in Iraq.
In 2011, the Rochester Chapter members started a project to preserve the Cutshall Photographic Collection that was donated to the history center. This photo collection has over 50,000 photographs and negatives that were placed in protective sleeves and inventoried. This project was completed in 2016.
In 2012, the Rochester Chapter NSDAR hosted the 117th Minnesota State DAR Conference that took place May 18-20, 2012 at the Rochester Downtown Marriott. Among the schedule were two trolley tours: one to Assisi Heights which included a tea; a second tour to Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch, the home of “Operation Welcome Home,” which included lunch.
In September 2013, chapter members planted and mulched a tree at the History Center of Olmsted County in honor of all the deceased members from 2003-2013.
In 2015, the chapter was able to raise over $11,000 to purchase an “Action Track Chair,” which was donated to Miracle Lodge at Ironwood Springs Christian Ranch. This chair allows a disabled veteran to regain a sense of independence, as they can once again hunt, fish, navigate mountain roads, campgrounds, woods, beaches, hiking trails and frozen lakes.
In 2018, the Rochester Chapter, jointly with the MNSSDAR, funded and rededicated the DAR marker in Lake City and the Quarry Hill Bench at Rochester’s Quarry Hill park. They also reorganized the Pipestone Society of the Children of the American Revolution (C.A.R.). The Pipestone C.A.R. continues to prosper. Each year they participate with our chapter members in the Memorial Day Parade and program at Soldier’s Field Veterans Memorial. Our chapter members participate in the RochesterFest Parade and Stewartville 4th of July parade with C.A.R. members each year.
The Rochester Chapter NSDAR has given awards to: Bruce Rodgers for the “Outstanding Teacher of American History,” Tom Ostrom for the “Local Media Award,” and Joe Brown for the “Community Service Award.”
The chapter continues its support with: supporting veterans affairs; hosting the DAR Good Citizens contest; hosting the American History essay contests promoting patriotism; preserving history; promoting the display of the American flag and the Pledge of Allegiance; continued involvement with the William Dee Log Cabin; supporting the DAR schools and education; and continuing involvement in the Memorial Day observances.
Members of the Rochester Chapter NSDAR look forward to seeing where the future leads their chapter and how they can increase our support of the mission of the NSDAR.