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Chattanooga, Tennessee—Since 1915

 

BRAINERD MISSION CEMETERY

RECLAIMED AND MAINTAINED

1933 TO PRESENT

 

  Brainerd Mission Cemetery is all that remains of Brainerd Mission, established in 1817 and closed in 1838 when the Cherokee Indians were removed to the Trail of  Tears.

    Prior to the patriotic societies’ acquisition of the property in 1933, the Brainerd Mission Cemetery remained neglected and overgrown for decades.  By 1933 the cemetery had reached the climax as a miserable site and was overgrown with weeds, bushes, and small trees, open to pigs and other stock, the graves sunken, and the tombstones lying broken and marred on the ground.

      Four Chattanooga DAR chapters (Chickamauga, John Ross, Judge David Campbell, and Nancy Ward) partnered with the John Sevier Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and the Judge Howell Tatum Chapter of the Children of the American Revolution (CAR) to purchase the neglected and overgrown cemetery on September 26, 1933.

    The acquisition of the property quickly set in motion a series of steps to beautify and transform the burial ground. The chapters formed committees to oversee a cemetery fund, the construction of a stone wall, publicity, landscape beautification, and a dedication ceremony.

     The Daughters hastily organized this dedication ceremony to coincide with the DAR conference scheduled to meet in Chattanooga the first week of November 1933.

     Central to the organization of the November 1, 1933, dedication ceremony was Penelope Johnson Allen, a member of the Judge David Campbell Chapter, DAR.  Allen was well connected to Chattanooga society and she served as the chairman of the Historical and Publicity Committee for the dedication ceremony. This committee was especially effective in publicizing the event, with numerous articles appearing in both the Chattanooga Daily Times and the Chattanooga News beginning in September 1933. They used the media not only to announce the upcoming dedication event, but also to report their progress within the cemetery, raise funds for their efforts, and appeal for volunteers and supplies. For instance, an October 15 Times article reported the donation of “a truckload of shrubbery” and two checks of fifty dollars each to be spent on the construction of the stone wall.

 

^{~Text taken from Department of the Interior, National Park Service Form NPS 10-900-A}

 

JUDGE DAVID CAMPBELL CHAPTER

WILL CELEBRATE

100 YEARS OF SERVICE

ON MAY 12, 2015

 

     Beginning with our charter members and continuing today, there stands a distinguished legacy of service to our community and  to the State and National DAR Societies.

     Monuments have been dedicated and historic parks have been created. Citizens have been recognized for their contributions to historic preservation, conservation, and for their service to the community.  New Citizens have  been welcomed.  Countless school children have received their first copy of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America as a result of the programs and activities supported by this chapter.  Other students have been awarded cash, scholarships, and certificates for their outstanding work in patriotism, citizenship, and history. 

     Many young women have joined our ranks and stayed to see their own daughters and granddaughters join DAR to serve alongside them.  Lifelong friendships have been forged.  The lives we touched were not only those of the community.  We have gained more from our service than was given.  We have matured into TODAY’S DAR.