|  Home  |  Meetings  |  Activities  |  Calendar  |  Officers  |  Patriots  |  How to Join  | |  TXDAR  |  NSDAR  |  Contact Us  |

     

Balcones Fault Aids Colonization of Texas Marker

Click to view larger...

Balcones Chapter, NSDAR, in Austin is a friendly and active group numbering about 80 women ranging in age from 18 to 102! Our chapter is strong in genealogy, history, and outreach to veterans and troops. We also have a broad range of interests in areas such as conservation, women's issues, and the arts. Members are professional business women, homemakers, entrepreneurs, retirees, and even students.

Our chapter was founded October 17, 1975, as part of the patriotic enthusiasm leading up to America's Bicentennial. Twenty-five organizing members signed the charter at our founding, and several charter members remain active members today. We encourage leadership and involvement by new members and longer-term members.

The name "Balcones" was selected in honor of the chapter's location in Central Texas, where the Balcones Escarpment is a major geographical feature which affected the pattern of colonization in Texas. The numerous springs and wooded hills of the escarpment and adjacent fertile prairies attracted Indian tribes and Spanish colonists before the area was permanently settled by Anglo-American pioneers. The Colorado River cascades down the Balcones Escarpment and flows through the Texas Blackland Prairie, heading to the Gulf of Mexico. In 1839, the small settlement of Waterloo located on the northern bank of the Colorado River was selected for the capital of the Republic of Texas, and was named "Austin" in 1840. The Balconies Escarpment with its "balconies" of limestone cliffs created by geological faults and water erosion dominates the Austin landscape and provides scenic vistas for all to enjoy.

We welcome visitors and prospective members and are happy to help with the steps to join DAR. If you are interested in in finding out more about the Balcones Chapter or DAR, please email us. We look forward to hearing from you!



TXDAR Recognition VIS Approval