George Washington Chapter - DAR

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Now, most folks driving through Galveston today wouldn't look twice at this particular spot. But on June 17, 1895, something was set in motion right here that would matter to the whole state of Texas.

It happened at the home of Mrs. George Seeligson, and what started that day was the George Washington Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Now, the name wasn't chosen lightly or at random.

Among the charter members were Mrs. Sydney Fontaine and her daughter Shirley, and those two women were descendants of George Washington himself. So when they gathered in that parlor and chose a name, well, they had good reason to reach for that one.

Here's the part that deserves a moment of quiet appreciation. This was the first DAR chapter in all of Texas. Not the first in Galveston.

The first in the entire state. And it predated the Texas state organization by five years. Five years.

They didn't wait for somebody else to come along and build the house. They were the foundation. Since that June afternoon in 1895, the chapter has kept at it, historic preservation, educating young people, promoting good citizenship, the same goals they started with.

Some things get built in a day and last a hundred years. This was one of them.

What the marker says

On June 17, 1895, at the home of Mrs. George Seeligson, located at this site, the George Washington Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution was formed. The name was selected because charter members included Mrs. Sydney Fontaine and her daughter Shirley, descendants of George Washington. This was the first DAR chapter in Texas, predating the state organization by five years. Since its founding, the group has pursued its goal of historic preservation, education of youth, and promotion of good citizenship.