Chapter
History
Our chapter was organized March 2, 1923, as the Douglas County Chapter.
The original chapter name was changed to Stephen A.
Douglas Chapter on March 2, 1932. The legislature of 1859
gave the county the name of Douglas in honor of the legislator and
United States Senator, Stephen A. Douglas, so the chapter accepted his
name also.
In 1934, members dressed in colonial costumes and served as
hostesses in the DAR room at the World’s Fair in Chicago.
Our chapter maintains the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) room at the
Douglas County Court House. When the court house was built in
1913, GAR members asked for that a room be
set aside for
patriotic organizations to hold meetings. The GAR met there
until 1935 when the last GAR veteran requested that
the supervision and maintenance of the room and its
artifacts be placed in charge of the Stephen A. Douglas
Chapter. Since then, our chapter has maintained the room and
held several meetings there. The room is now open to the public during
court house hours, and chapter members volunteer as docents.
In 1965 Rosa Helm Overturf was honored at Continental Congress
when her daughter, Mrs. Charles Johnson, Chaplain General of NSDAR,
placed a flag in her honor at the Kansas Chapel at National
Headquarters.
Stephen A. Douglas Chapter sponsors DAR Good citizen awards in all of
our six county high schools, honoring the winners and their parents at
a February luncheon. Awards are also presented to the winners
of the American History essay contest winners at that time.
Each spring we present awards to the Outstanding Student in American
History at all six of our eighth grade schools in the county. During
Constitution Week (September 17-23), you will find displays at
local libraries and businesses.
Although small in number, the Stephen A. Douglas
Chapter has always supported the National Society
objectives: to promote historical preservation, education, and
patriotism. Two of our members have served as state officers
and
all chapter members are true to our National motto: God, Home, and
Country.
Chapter Centennial Celebration, March 2023