OSWEGO COUNTY – The two Oswego County chapters of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) recently combined to form one group. Members now belong to the Ontario Chapter which is based in Pulaski. The merger of the Kayendatsyona-Fort Oswego and Ontario groups was approved by the National DAR Board of Management in September.
Chapter Regents Lorraine Gregory and Catherine Beebe said the two groups have worked closely together for several years.
“The merger was a smooth transition and was supported by members of both groups,” said Gregory. “We look forward to many more years of working together to celebrate our nation’s rich history and to honor veterans of all American military conflicts. We will continue to meet at the Half-Shire Historical Society in Richland, where all our records are stored.”
Beebe, who has been a DAR member for 25 years, said the Kayendatsyona chapter was founded in Fulton in 1904. The Fort Oswego chapter merged with the Kayendatsyona chapter in February 2006.
The Kayendatsyona-Fort Oswego Chapter marked its 120th anniversary earlier this year with a formal tea hosted by the Ontario chapter and Half-Shire Historical Society.
Beebe served as regent of the Kayendatsyona- Fort Oswego group for several years. She said the chapter was named after a Seneca Nation governess who signed the July 1788 treaty at Fort Stanwix.
The chapter history states: “July, 1788, at Fort Stanwix, the Indians ceded their lands (with certain reservations) to the state. This treaty, the foundation of the title of much of Oswego County, including Fulton, was signed by … the State Commissioners, the Chiefs of the Bear, Deer, Elk, Turtle, Beaver, and Wolf Clan of the Onondagas, and by Kayendatsyona, Chief Governess of the Senecas. The name signifies: ‘She makes or forms heaps of firewood.’”
Beebe noted that several DAR chapters were founded in the early 1900s and were named after members of the Iroquois nations.
The National Society of the Daughters of American Revolution traces its roots to supporters of the American Revolutionary War, and any woman over 18 years of age with this revolutionary lineage is welcome to join. Members engage in various community activities including volunteer service, historic preservation, education, and patriotism.
For information about local DAR activities contact Lorraine Gregory at [email protected] or Catherine Beebe at [email protected].
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