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HISTORY OF LT. THOMAS BARLOW CHAPTER

The unique position of being the first chapter established south of San Antonio at the "Tip of Texas" is enjoyed by the chapter in San Benito, which was named for an ancestor of Mrs. Lelia Barlow Ammerman, the Organizing Regent.  Born in Caroline County, Virginia, in 1760, Lt. Thomas Barlow enlisted at the age of seventeen, served under General Lafayette at the battle of Yorktown and died in Kentucky in 1825.

The Lt. Thomas Barlow Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, whose home is in San Benito, Texas, was the first chapter to be founded in the Lower Rio Grande Valley.  It is still more or less valley wide in its scope, drawing its membership from eleven valley towns.

The chapter was accepted by National Congress April 20, 1914.  Officers were appointed at the initial meeting of Monday, August 3rd, while the first business meeting was held on October 21st of that year.  Mrs. (J.B.) Lelia Barlow Ammerman of Fort Worth was the organizing regent and it was her Revolutionary ancestor whose name the chapter bears.  Of the seventeen charter members, not one appears on the rolls today, but the present membership numbers eighty-six.

The early days of the chapter were difficult ones.  It was the only chapter south of San Antonio, its membership was scattered, the region sparsely settled with no paved highways and the roads were often impassable.  Added to this was "Border Trouble."  But this little pioneer group labored faithfully, rendering aid to the World War through Red Cross work, preparing an historical paper for each meeting, contributing to the various projects of national DAR origin, doing the Americanization work in the schools by use of flag codes, gold medals, prizes for history work, etc.

As the years passed, they found time for civic park improvement, much Valley historical research, and were instrumental in having three roads put into traveling condition leading to the Resaca de la Palma Battle grounds.  Perhaps the most outstanding piece of work was the marking of three spots associated with the conflict between the United States and Mexico.  A stone marks the battle ground of the engagement of May 9, 1846, of Resaca de la Palma.  Three cannon have also been mounted; one near the stone on the battle ground of the Resaca de la Palma, one on the military road marking the spot of the first blood shed (the skirmish which led to declarations of war by the two nations), and the third is on the Palo Alto battle field.

In the ninety-five years of its existence, fifty woman have presided as regents, and the towns represented in its enrollment are as follows; Amarillo, Austin, Dallas, Edinburg, Forney, Harlingen, Horseshoe Bay, Houston, La Feria, Los Fresnos, Mercedes, Pearland, Port Isabel, Rio Hondo, Rockport, San Antonio, San Benito, Santa Rosa, and Weslaco.

States represented in its enrollment are as follows; Arizona, California, Missouri, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, and Virginia.