Our Chapter

Founded in 1908 in Quitman, Brooks County, the Hannah Clarke Chapter, NSDAR was the first women’s patriotic and civic organization in the community. Named for Revolutionary War heroine Hannah Arrington Clarke, wife of Colonel Elijah Clarke, the chapter reflects a legacy of courage, patriotism, and service that continues today.

During the Revolutionary War, Hannah Clarke endured tremendous hardship while supporting the patriot cause. Around 1779, Tory soldiers forced her family from their home and burned it to the ground. As she escaped on horseback, carrying a treasured patchwork quilt made by her daughters, soldiers attempted to take it from her. Hannah bravely refused, and the soldiers rode away. Rather than remain in safety, she traveled from fort to fort beside her husband, assisting wherever needed during the war. Her determination and devotion earned her the title “Heroine of Hornet’s Nest.

For more than a century, the chapter has honored her spirit through education, patriotism, and community service. Its accomplishments include the Scholarship Loan fund, begun by Mrs. Juanita Bullard Oglesby (Regent in 1970), which was the first such fund established in any DAR Chapter, and the recognition of students annually through Good Citizen and history awards programs.