Welcome to the Benjamin Mills Chapter


We are so glad you found us.  The Benjamin Mills Chapter has been active in the Bond County area for nearly 100 years. We are very proud of our past and are looking forward to the next 100 years of promoting the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) motto:  God, Home, and Country. 

As a lineage society, DAR members can trace their family tree back to an ancestor (man or woman) who supported the cause of American independence.  Your family member may not have fought but may have supported the American cause in other ways, such as providing food or shelter to the troops.  Do you have a Revolutionary patriot in your family tree? To become a member, a woman must be at least 18 years old and be able to prove blood descent from a person who rendered patriotic service during the American Revolution. Membership in the DAR honors and preserves the legacy of your patriot ancestor.  If you think you are eligible to join, come to one of our meetings, or send us an email.

Over two hundred years ago, American patriots fought and sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy today. Through participation in the DAR's various programs and activities, you can continue this legacy by actively supporting historic preservation, promotion of education, and patriotic endeavors. Did you know that if you have a relative who is or was a member, the process of joining is simplified! 

You may be wondering, "Who was Benjamin Mills?" During the Revolutionary War, Benjamin Mills served as a private, then 2nd lieutenant, in the Maryland troops.  His wife, Elizabeth, is also a patriot, having sewn shirts for the soldiers. After the war, the Mills family left Maryland to live in Pennsylvania so their sons, Andrew and Benjamin, could attend college.  The family moved west, settling in Paris (Bourbon Co.) Kentucky where Benjamin, Sr. died in 1822.  Son Andrew and his family then migrated to Illinois in 1827 and settled in the southern part of Bond County where Mills Township bears the Mills family name.  Hundreds of descendants still populate the area. When the chapter was organized, the majority of the members were descended from Benjamin Mills and it seemed appropriate to honor his service by naming the chapter after him.