Jan 2, 2026 By Melissa Gibson 3 min read

Members of Washington County’s Daughters of the American Revolution believe in remembering the past by looking to the present.

The nonprofit organization, a branch of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, is made up of women whose ancestors were patriots in the country’s fight for independence.

“These brave men, women and children, against all odds, defeated the greatest military might in the world during the American Revolution. There was no Navy or Army. There was no infrastructure. Because of them, we were able to establish democracy,” said Cate Briggs, regent for the Washington County DAR Chapter.

All DAR members must be of lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution, but descendants are not limited to those who fought in the war, Briggs said. Other qualifying descendents include those who provided medical aid to the wounded, offered their crops to feed soldiers or even served as a town sheriff.

Members of DAR will help with genealogical research to determine if a prospective member is eligible to join. Briggs said there are likely millions of women across the country who are eligible.

“There are African American patriots, Spanish patriots and Native American patriots,” she said.

In addition to conducting genealogical research, Briggs said members of the chapter are active in the community.

“Not only do we support veterans and their families, but we also support the Madonna of the Trail Statue in Washington County, we serve meals to the homeless, donate to women’s shelters and provide genealogy classes,” Briggs said. “We also do a lot of work with historic preservation in this area and have written grants to help with that.”

Other volunteer activities include participating in Wreaths Across America each December at the Cemetery of the Alleghenies, and providing backpacks of supplies for children.

As members learn more about their heritage, Briggs said they are able to reflect on the struggles of their ancestors.

“It’s hard with all of our modern conveniences to imagine what it would be like to live on a farm and fear your neighbor would turn you in as a spy. Or, all of the men in your family were out fighting, you are pregnant with five children at home and the crops are ready to be brought in,” she said.

For more information, visit http://www.dar.org/ or email the Washington County chapter to see how you can get involved at WashCoPADAR@gmail.com