Photo courtesy of Oak Mountain Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
From left: DAR State Registrar Mary Lewey; DAR State Historian Susan Moore; Oak Mountain Chapter Regent Sally Woolley; NSDAR Vice President General Tammy Clemons; DAR State Corresponding Secretary Janice Jennings; and DAR State Treasurer Sherry Spurlin at the grave marking for Moses Johnson.
In September 2018, the first workshop to generate interest for a new Daughters of the American Revolution chapter in North Shelby County was held at the Chelsea Public Library.
Within weeks, the number of new and potential members grew quickly as news of the chapter traveled throughout the area.
The Oak Mountain Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution was organized in 2019 and has grown from less than 25 members to now more than 65 members.
The nonprofit service organization has a lineage requirement for women older than 18 who can prove a direct lineal connection to a man or woman who rendered services in the aid of American independence – not just fighting, but also those who contributed goods and services.
DAR is a women’s service organization whose members have worked for more than a century to support the national mission and goals of historic preservation, advancing education and promoting patriotism.
The organization has more than 185,000 members in chapters around the world. They contribute at the local level by working on projects that preserve the nation’s heritage, including supporting schools and student programs, veteran’s activities and more. They focus on a wide variety of initiatives including scholarships, historic preservation grants and partnerships with schools and libraries.
“Not everyone knows about their family history,” Oak Mountain Chapter Regent Sally Woolley said. “It’s so much easier now because so many things are online; dar.org is an open website, and that’s a good place to start. If you don’t feel confident in doing your own research, your local DAR chapter will help you with your application.”
Woolley said all the information needed to get started is the applicant’s information, along with their parents and all four grandparents. They use birth and death marriage, court records, land deeds, personal records and Bible records in their searches.
The group has recently honored an unrecognized American Revolutionary patriot who is buried near Wilsonville. Records show that Moses Johnson and his family migrated to Shelby County before 1820 and that he spent the winter of 1777-78 with George Washington at Valley Forge. A formal ceremony was Jan. 29 to honor this patriot and to place a bronze marker on his grave.
At a recent service meeting, the group made paracord bracelets for active military and collected supplies for active duty service women, whose supply needs are different from men. They also collect other items including used pill bottles for the Greater Birmingham Humane Society, and coupons to send to military bases overseas that can be used in the commissary. They also support the Shelby County Historical Society.
For the country’s 250th birthday, to be celebrated on July 4, 2026, DAR is trying to recruit as many members as possible. There are currently 180,000 active members (there have been over a million since the group’s inception) and they would like to get to 250,000 before the anniversary date.
For more information, to fill out an interest form or to find a local chapter, visit dar.org.
