Gay Hewitt has more than a passing interest in the American Revolution of 1776.

A computer support specialist at Hutchinson Community College, Hewitt can trace her ancestry back to colonial times in America, to a Quaker who made his own contribution to the War of Independence.

“He was not a soldier or anything in the war,” Hewitt said. “He just provided assistance to the soldiers.”

But that connection, combined with her own patriotic beliefs and an interest in history she shared with an aunt in Oklahoma, led Hewitt to join the local Uvedale Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. 

She has been a member for 17 years. She serves various functions in the chapter, including that of recruiter.

“We are always looking for new members, especially if they have an interest in history,” Hewitt said.

To be a member of the organization you have to be able to prove that you have a family member who participated in some way in the Revolutionary War.

 The group has dedicated many monuments along the Sante Fe Trail and at locations in the Hutchinson area.

Just a few weeks ago, the Uvedale Chapter rededicated a monument to the first salt mine here. They also celebrated  their chapter’s 100^th anniversary with a formal tea event.

In 1924, members of the Uvedale Chapter offered support to people who were advocating the adoption of  “The Star Spangled Banner” as our national anthem.

The lyrics had been written by Francis Scott Key in 1814, inspired by a battle he had seen during the War of 1812. The lyrics later were set to the tune of an old British song. Both the U.S. Army and Navy later adopted the song as the national anthem, and the Star Spangled Banner was legally adopted as America’s national anthem in 1931, by an act of Congress.