DAR Logo

Dorcheat Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, was organized on April 13, 1940, with thirteen charter members. These members were descendants of two Revolutionary War soldiers---Major John Winston, Jr., and Lewis Hyner. These thirteen members were:

Alice McGee Alexander; Martha Willis Campbell; Marion Reeves
Wright; Eloise Brown Bridges; Miss Lillian Nelson; Agnes Brown
Butler; Emma Lee Willis Trammell; Carrie McGee Wright; Annie Kate Doyle; Alice McGee Bennett; Martha Elizabeth Cook; Miss
Ethyl McGee; Alice Wright Dickinson

The Dorcheat Chapter was named for Dorcheat Bayou, Dorcheat Bayou a south-flowing stream of water serving as the chief means of transportation for an area 100 miles wide. Water travel was possible from the Red River north to Lake Bistineau and on into the Dorcheat Bayou to a point within two and a half miles of Minden. This navigation was possible six months out of the year. This was in the early 1800s.

The Bistineau Chapter was organized February 27, 1955, at Ringgold, Louisiana, during the State Regency of Mrs. William E. Hicks of Shreveport. Mrs. Raphael Bloch was the Organizing Regent of the Chapter with a required minimum of 12 members. These 12 members were:

Mrs. Raphael Bloch; Mrs. E.S. Woodard; Miss Jessie Nell
Wimberly; Mrs. Albert Clark; Miss Mary A. Wimberly; Mrs. John
H. Stephens; Mrs. M. H. Waller; Mrs. C. J. Frye; Miss Palma
Clark; Mrs. V. W. Fletcher; Mrs. Lamar Herbert; Mrs. J. K. Hill

The Chapter name was taken from the Lake Bistineau, Lake Bistineau which forms a portion of the Bienville Parish western boundary, which played a vital role in the early history of the Ringgold area. Early spellings of the lake's name were Lake Bistino, Bestino, and Bistiano; likely the English settlers' spellings of the Caddo Indians' dialect term for "Big Broth." The French influence is probably responsible for the present spelling, Bistineau.

In 1989 Bistineau Chapter merged with the Dorcheat Chapter to form the Dorcheat-Bistineau Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

Today the Dorcheat-Bistineau Chapter remains active with 50 members

Map of LouisianaConstitution Hall

webmaster

Web hyperlinks to non-DAR sites are not the responsibility of the NSDAR, the state organizations, or individual DAR chapters. Please contact the chapter if you have any questions.

Site last updated January 22, 2013