Uvedale Chapter was organized on February 7, 1908, in Hutchinson, Kansas. The Organizing Regent was Mrs. Myrtle Symson Cooter. The chapter was named for the ancestor of one of the fourteen organizing members.
A pattern of giving to the community was begun with the first vote the chapter conducted. The Pawnee Rock fund was sent $25 for the erection of a marker. Later markers placed included the Harding memorial, the Santa Fe Trail ford on the Little Arkansas River, the location of the first salt mine in Hutchinson, and the graves of two "Real Daughters." (A Real Daughter is one whose mother or father was a Revolutionary Patriot.)
Even in the early years, and during wartime years, the chapter gave generous gifts to the DAR schools and scholarship funds. Support of education and the DAR schools has always been central to the chapter. Another high priority is America's veterans. Since 1917, Uvedale has been involved in some way with supporting our troops, from sending gift boxes to purchasing a portable x-ray machine for use on hospital ships.
Over the years, Uvedale Chapter has supported the various projects of DAR, and also its community. The chapter has been involved in such local organizations as the Humane Society, City Refuge Home, and City Beautiful Association. The chapter has also planted bulbs, iris, and trees in Carey Park in Hutchinson.
Two treasured pieces of memorabilia in the chapter's archives are a note from First Lady Florence Harding (1923), following a Presidential visit to Hutchinson, and a flower card from a bouquet of violets, presented to the chapter in 1919 by Queen Elizabeth, on a Royal visit.
A highlight in the chapter's year is the State Regent's visit. Here, chapter members pose with the State Regent, state organizing secretary, and members of the Newton Chapter, who co-hosted the event.
Uvedale Chapter celebrated its 100th anniversary with a patriotic tea in April 2008. Guests included several state officers, the district director, chapter members, and guests. A local Sons of the American Revolution chapter provided the Color Guard for the program, which included instrumental music, a solo by a chapter member of "Revolutionary Tea," and a reading of the chapter's history. Five members were recognized for fifty years of membership in DAR.
Points of interest in the chapter's history:
- Teddy Roosevelt was President of the United States at the time the chapter began.
- Most members could trace their ancestors within four generarations.
- Members actively participated in the 1924 effort to make "The Star Spangled Banner" our national anthem.
- The chapter memorialized President Warren Harding in Sylvan Park in Hutchinson.
- A marker was placed identifying a crossing of the Little Arkansas River by the Santa Fe Trail.
- A marker was placed at the site of the discovery of salt in Hutchinson.
Uvedale Chapter has an exciting past, and looks forward to an exciting future.
"Let our object be our country, our
whole country, and nothing but our country."
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