The following excerpts are taken from the 1928 book, Ohio State History of the Daughters of the American Revolution .

The article on the Granville Chapter DAR that is contained in the book was written by

Mrs. John Ernest Shepardson, historian, Granville Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution.

 

 

The Granville Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, was organized on January 13, 1909, with Mrs. Kate Shepard Hines as Organizing Regent. It was the worst night of the whole season, there being a raging storm, with the sidewalks blocked with snow. There was enthusiasm enough, however, so that a proper number was present for organization. First we met at the home of Mrs. J.M. Swartz but adjourned to the home of Mrs. Mary Dawes Raymond, East Elm Street, so as to have two more present. And it was at her home on Saturday night, January 30, 1909 that our Chapter was organized.

 

Looking back over a century of the life of this community, three things stand out clearly as the chief characteristics of Granville. These are, the quality of her citizenship, her market religious atmosphere, and her opportunities and influences in education. So Granville Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, took with pride its name Granville from the village in which it is located.

 

The Charter was granted on March 11, 1909, our Chapter number being 828. There were eighteen Charter Members namely:  Harriet Thrall Austin (Mrs. L.A.); Mary Roberts Barker (Mrs. Fred D.); Sarah Eudocia Drake, Lillie Guckert; Juanita Belford Guckert (Mrs. Albert); Kate Shepard Hines (Mrs. Nahum); Calla Wilkin Jones (Mrs. Timothy B.): Mary Belle Linnell; Helen Stark Munro; Isabel Raymond; Mary Dawes Raymond (Mrs. William H.); Laura Crisswell swartz (Mrs. John M.); Adelia D. Smith; Martha Wright Thompson (Mrs. James D.; Fanny Shuey Trask (Mrs. B.E.); Jennie Lyon Ullman (Mrs. William P.); Clara Louise Wright; Mary H. Wilson.

 

As Granville is a small place where we are not brought into direct contact with the great needs of the world, there are many ways in which other chapters work, which do not seem to be for us, wishing however, to justify our existence we took what was at our hands, the care of the Old Colony Burying Ground, much neglected by the authorities. The following item appears in our by-laws under "Objects of the Chapter"---"The special work of the Granville Chapter shall be to suitably care for and cherish the graves and grounds of the Old Colony Burying Ground, where there are buried the pioneers of the settlement of Granville and a number of Revolutionary Soldiers."

 

We have had three special "clean-up" days for this burying ground, calling for volunteer workers, largely people whose ancestors lay there, turned out cheerfully and accomplished much work. A bountiful chicken pie dinner each time was the reward. Mr. Llewlyn Jones, Mr. L.A. Austin, and Mrs. Kate Shepard Hines are the trustees of the Old Colony Burying Ground--appointed by the Mayor of the village.

 

On April 14, 1923 our chapter started an endowment fund for the Old Colony Burying Ground, naming Mrs. John Ernest Shepardson chairman, and to date January 1, 1927 the amount is $330.65. The interest is used to re-set many of the old stones.

 

Arbor Day April 14, 1910 the Daughters planted three trees in the burying ground, one in honor of Charles Byant, who copied at one time all the inscriptions of all the grave stones in this burying ground. Another was dedicated to Jonathan Benjamin who not only served in the Revolution but also in the French and Indian Wars and one tree was dedicated to William Gavit a sailor at the age of fifteen these two men were great sufferers for a great cause. At another time our chapter assisted the Community Federation in efforts to beautify the approaches to Granville by planting roses and lilacs in the South corner of this burying ground.

 

In order to carry out a plan upon which we had set our hearts, we concentrated all of our energies upon that object--the erection of a Memorial Gate in the Old Colony Burying Ground. It has four masonry columns of gray sandstone, thirty inches square. The two center columns, seven feet high, open on the driveway; they are connected by folding iron gates, and spanned by an iron arch, in ornamental scroll-work, bearing the legend, "Old Colony Burying Ground, 1805." The two outer columns connect with the center ones by gates which open onto the footpaths.

 

A tin box containing a record of the erection of the gate, a copy of the program of the day, and a paper bearing the name of each member of the chapter with that of her Revolutionary ancestor was placed in one of the columns. Hetuck Chapter of Newark, Ohio attended the dedication in a body and thus added to the enthusiasm of the occasion. The gates were dedicated with impressive ceremonies on Memorial Day, May 30, 1912.

 

Each year on Memorial Day our Chapter places flags on the graves of soldiers having served in the following wars: French and Indian, Revolution, Mexican, 1812 and Spanish American and below each flag is hung a small white pennant bearing these words, "Granville Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution."

 

~by Mrs. John Ernest Shepardson, historian, Granville Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution.