Objectives

The objectives of the Lawton, Oklahoma Chapter, NSDAR are patriotic, educational, and historical. Chapter members are offered many different ways to serve the Lawton-Fort Sill community and promote these objectives. Chapter members may be involved in presenting historical or educational programs, identifying deserving individuals in the community for DAR awards and scholarships, attending or participating in celebrations of patriotic anniversaries, preserving historical documents and relics, placing and dedicating historical monuments, encouraging historical research by sponsoring essay contests in schools, planting trees or other conservation efforts, and many other activities.

Chapter History

The Lawton Chapter was organized on September 21, 1921. Mrs. M. F. Jones was the Organizing Regent. There were 16 charter members. The chapter was named after the city of Lawton, established in 1901, which was named after Lt. H.W. Lawton, quartermaster at historic old Fort Sill. Fort Sill was established in 1869 as a United States military post in Indian Territory to pacify and protect Indian tribes on the Southern Great Plains. In 1911, the need for frontier outposts being no longer necessary, Fort Sill became a field artillery school. The name of the city of Lawton was recently changed to Lawton-Fort Sill.

Among the chapter's most visible accomplishments are the several historical monuments that it has placed and dedicated. The large Veterans monument on the Comanche County Courthouse grounds was placed on March 25, 1928, and rededicated in 1981. Historical markers have also been placed at the Old Post Chapel, Fort Sill, to honor the memory of I-See-O, a famous Kiowa Indian Scout and Sergeant, U.S. Army, and at the Old Stone Corral to commemorate the founding of Fort Sill. On May 8, 1999, the Oklahoma Society Daughters of the American Revolution, during the administration of State Regent JoAnn Biffle Sterling, a Lawton Chapter member, placed a bronze plaque mounted on a two-ton limestone boulder donated by the Dolese Brothers at the Fort Sill Information Center. The plaque commemorates the naming of Fort Sill after Brigadier General Joshua W. Sill.

Members of the Lawton Chapter began the first genealogical library in Comanche County at the Museum of the Great Plains. The extensive collection of books and microfilm/fiche was moved to the Lawton Public Library about 1978 in order to make the materials more available to the public. The collection was combined with the collection of the library as well as collections of the Southwest Oklahoma Genealogical Society and the United States Daughters of 1812, Jacob White David Chapter. It is believed this is now the second largest genealogical collection in the state due to these combined efforts.

Officers for the 2012-2014 years are:

The DAR Insignia is the property of, and is copyrighted by, the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. 

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09/15/2012 last updated