Amos Kendall Chapter NSDAR

National Society Daughters of the American Revolution

— Oswego, Illinois —

Amos Kendall Chapter

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OUR HISTORY
OUR NAMESAKE

Amos Kendal Chapter Flags

Welcome to the Amos Kendall Chapter, National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

On June 10, 2000, the Amos Kendall Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR or DAR), was formed. The name of the chapter was chosen because of the outstanding accomplishments of our own county’s namesake, Amos Kendall.

Amos Kendall

Mr. Kendall moved from Kentucky to Washington in 1829, the year Andrew Jackson was elected president. Throughout the years of 1829-1837, Mr. Kendall was the president’s “man of all works.” He was kept very busy as chief advisor, chief reporter, and scribe for Mr. Jackson. Representative Henry Wise, from Virginia called Mr. Kendall the “president’s thinking machine and writing machine”.

In 1835, President Jackson appointed Amos Kendall to Postmaster General of the United States. Mr. Kendall, an entrepreneur in his day, started a newspaper called “Kendall’s Exposition,” in which he was the editor of for many years.

Amos Kendall was the financier for the “new” invention by Samuel F.B. Morse, the telegraph. It was revealed that Mrs. Morse was deaf herself; and by tapping on her hand, Mr. Morse could communicate to her. In addition, Mr. Kendall was the financier of a school for the deaf where his own two adopted deaf children attended. Originally this school was named Kendall’s School for the Deaf. Today it is known as Gallaudet University.

Kendall County was organized in February 19, 1841, from former sections of LaSalle and Kane counties by the Illinois State Legislature. Many of the early settlers migrated from Orange County, New York. The county’s name was originally proposed as Orange, but on a motion from Ebenezer Peck of Will County, Illinois, the name was changed to Kendall County. Abraham Lincoln was one of the members of the legislature who voted to change the name in 1841.