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In 1907, a woman of vision married and came
to the Cherokee area, bringing with her the
papers of DAR membership she had from
Connecticut. She was soon joined by other
women in the Cherokee area who had been
members elsewhere and they rode the morning
Illinois Central train to Sioux City to
attend meetings, returning on the 6:30
train. In 1916 she was officially named by
NSDAR to act as organizing regent of a new
chapter in Cherokee, which was gathering
papers for 18 members.
 
The organizing members submitted the name
“Cherokee Chapter” to the National Society
DAR, only to find that a chapter in Alabama
was charted under that name. After
considering many names, the final decision
was to use the name of a historical landmark
south of Cherokee called Pilot Rock. This
large glacial quartzite rock served as a
landmark for migrating whites and a pow wow
sight for local Indian tribes. National
accepted the name, and Pilot Rock Chapter,
NSDAR, was born. The chapter placed a
commemorative marker in 1976.
During the 1949 Continental Congress Pilot
Rock Chapter, NSDAR, was recognized for a
Junior American Citizens Committee project of
placing study guides in all the county
schools. During the term 1951-54, Iowa gained
the highest honors in the nation for its
support of the Helen Pouch Scholarship Fund
and for the Home Economics Scholarship fund.
In 1955, the Mary Bailey Potter Society C.A.R.
was organized and Pilot Rock Chapter, NSDAR,
provided senior leadership for many years. A
member coordinated 16 annual patriotic
Educational Bus Tours for C.A.R. members and
friends to the national convention and
historic sites.
Pilot Rock Chapter, NSDAR, celebrated
their 75th Anniversary with a Jubilee Brunch
in 1992. In 1997, the chapter sponsored a
summer reading program at the local library
with emphasis on flag etiquette. The chapter
also participated in the “Green Space,” a
program of restoration of trees, shrubs and
grassland along the Little Sioux River
following the government removal of homes
and businesses from the flood plain of the
river.
In the year 2000, the fortunes of Pilot
Rock Chapter, NSDAR, took an unexpected
change for the better. The great generosity
of one member has changed all that
scrambling for money in this Chapter. The
Chapter received a letter from her attorney
stating the Chapter would receive 1/6th of
her estate for the use of Pilot Rock
Chapter, NSDAR. It was decided that youth
and scholarships would be of high emphasis
along with help to any member attending
State and District meetings. We immediately
doubled our donations to State and National
projects. Many of our children and
grandchildren have furthered their higher
education due to the generosity of that
member. Another of our most loyal members
remembered Pilot Rock Chapter in her will.
She also felt the need to honor our youth,
and her gift was distributed to DAR Good
Citizen candidates who completed the essay
portion of the contest. She also did
research on the applications of dozens of
future Pilot Rock Chapter, NSDAR, members. 
Our long time chapter chaplain has
photographed and documented gravesites of
Pilot Rock Chapter, NSDAR members, recording
information especially notating graves with
DAR grave marker logo. To date, the chaplain
has walked 21 cemeteries, photographed 102
DAR member graves, of which 90 had grave
markers with the DAR logo. Photos are being
placed in Pilot Rock Chapter's notebook of
deceased members' memorabilia.
Pilot Rock Chapter, NSDAR, is a wonderful
group of ladies bound by love of this
organization, the Daughters of the American
Revolution.
Photos courtesy of
chapter members
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