Clinch Bend Chapter DAR marks 75th anniversary
Clinch Bend Chapter members and Norris Dam State Park staff at tree dedication.
The chapter was organized on Dec. 13, 1945, and confirmed by the National Board of Management on May 15, 1946, under the name Samuel Whitney, patriot of the organizing regent, Mrs. Eleanor Whitney Henry. On Jan. 31, 1953, with the need for wartime security ending, the name was changed to Clinch Bend Chapter. A large bend in the Clinch River provides protection on three sides of Oak Ridge and was a key factor in selecting the site for the atomic in stallions during World War II.
Oak Ridge ties to the Norris Reservoir are strong as it has been a popular recreation spot since the dam was built in the 1930s, the first built by the newly created Tennessee Valley Authority.
Civilian Conservation Corps enrollees were sent to build many of the facilities at the park, and they are still in use today. The rustic cabins served as temporary housing for Oak Ridge employees at various times.
The membership has grown from 16 founding members confined to Oak Ridge to over 60 from all over Anderson and adjacent counties, as well as other areas of Tennessee, and additional states. Daughters of the American Revolution is a service organization. All members can document direct lineage to someone who supported the American Revolution with military service, civic service, or civilian service.