Downers Grove Chapter DAR

06/02/2026

With Illinois Society Sons of the American Revolution – we just made it onto their weekly engagement list by being one of their top engagers 🎉 We're honored to be a part of the Revolutionary War Descendants "club" and happy to support our fellow patriots!

06/01/2026

Did you know that there are four first-generation Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) resting in the Village of Downers Grove, Illinois, Municipal Government cemeteries?

Lucy Downer lived from 1784 to 1863, and joined her husband, Pierce, who moved ahead of her from Vermont to the Illinois plains in 1832. She and her husband are recognized as co-founders of Downers Grove, Illinois. They actively aided those escaping slavery via the Underground Railroad, by providing access via their original farm.

Mrs. Downer's father, James Wilson, fought in the Revolutionary War.

Lucy's remains rest at the Pierce Downer Cemetery, located at 4520 Linscott Avenue in Downers Grove.

Ten years ago, the Downers Grove Chapter DAR dedicated a graveside plaque honoring Lucy Wilson Downer as a "True" Daughter of the American Revolution - a high distinction and great honor.

05/26/2026

Did you see or participate in a Memorial Day parade or ceremony this past weekend?

If so, please share a photo or two and tell us your thoughts about ancestors who may have paid the ultimate price for our freedom and liberty.

The Downers Grove Chapter DAR was honored to participate once again in the village's annual remembrance ceremony. Rita M Raden, Downers Grove Chapter's DAR Regent, presented the wreath to honor those who died fighting the Revolutionary War from 1775 to 1776.

Our appreciation to the U.S. Army Reserve escorts who assisted in the presentation.

05/26/2026

If you're headed for the Nation's Capitol this summer for our 250th Birthday, be sure to stop by the Daughters of the American Revolution National Headquarters - DAR Museum!

(And take lots of photos to share with us!)

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17UEZUTZEj/

05/15/2026

On May 15, 1765, the British Parliament passed the "Quartering Act," outlining the locations and conditions in which British soldiers were to find room and board in the American colonies.

The Quartering Act of 1765 required the colonies to house British soldiers in barracks provided by the colonies - sometimes leading to the British taking over private homes without the owners' permission.

The Act frustrated the American Patriots, so much so that the US Constitution's Bill of Rights' 3rd Amendment, which says, “No soldier shall in time of peace be quartered in any house without the consent of the owner; nor at any time, but in a manner warranted by law."

05/09/2026

Last month, Downers Grove Chapter DAR's Regent Rita M Raden, past Regent Winnie Barbato, Vice-Regent Laura Edgar and Past Regent Mary Kay Brohan-Nelsen represented us at the Illinois DAR State Convention.

Our chapter was honored to receive several recognitions for this past year's community and education efforts.

05/04/2026

We're so excited that one of our own Chapter Daughters won 1st place in the Illinois DAR's American Heritage Contest - the Fiber Arts Category - with her stunning quilt!

Congratulations, Mary Baker, and we're so proud of you!

Here are some photos of her amazing work!

04/24/2026

This weekend is the Illinois DAR annual conference in Bloomington, Illinois. A jam-packed weekend awaits those Daughters of the American Revolution that were able to attend.

Find out more about the Illinois DAR at ildar.org

04/20/2026

On Patriots’ Day, observed each year on the third Monday in April, we commemorate the first battles of the American Revolution, fought on April 19, 1775, at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. Via the National Park Service -

The “shot heard round the world..."

On Patriots’ Day, observed each year on the third Monday in April, we commemorate the first battles of the American Revolution, fought on April 19, 1775, at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts. The fighting stretched over 16 miles along the Bay Road from Boston to Concord and involved some 1,700 British regulars and more than 4,000 Colonial militia.

At Minute Man National Historical Park, visitors can walk along the historic Battle Road, tracing the path where militia and British troops first clashed. Explore preserved homes, barns, and taverns that offer a glimpse into daily life during the early Revolution. Be sure to stop at the North Bridge in Concord, where militia fired in a pivotal moment that helped turn the tide of the day with the famed “shot heard round the world.”

Learn more at: https://www.nps.gov/mima/learn/historyculture/april-19-1775.htm

Image: The North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts