Page:The part taken by women in American history.djvu/519

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Part Taken by Women in American History


Daughters of the American Revolution, for seven successive years, and through her duties as regent has been a prominent figure in the national congress each year of the Daughters of the American Revolution, which meets in Washington. The Buffalo Chapter is the largest in the New York State organization, and the second largest in the national organization. It was through her instrumentality that the New York State Daughters of the American Revolution Conference was held in Buffalo in 1898, which was one of the most interesting gatherings of Daughters held outside of Washington. The Buffalo Chapter has the honor of having on its rolls the names of two real daughters whose fathers served as soldiers in the Army of the Revolution. It is largely due to the energy and generosity of Mrs. Horton, as regent of the Buffalo Chapter, that the graves of over one hundred patriots of the War of Independence, buried in the vicinity of Buffalo, bear markers to tell of their devotion to the cause of patriotism. The graves of these heroes were found, all the records restored and the ceremony of marking these graves and the ritual used in the ceremony being written and the ceremonies directed by Mrs. Horton.

She has been indefatigable in sustaining an active interest in the patriotic educational work of her chapter, and during the winter season two illustrated lectures, weekly, are given to the Italians and Poles of the city of Buffalo on the history of the United States. The lectures arc given in the Polish and Italian language, at the expense of her chapter. Buffalo Chapter was the pioneer in this commendable work of educating the foreign element.

Mrs. Horton was appointed on the Board of Woman Managers of the Pan-American Exposition, at Buffalo, N. Y., and acted as chairman of the committee on ceremonies and entertainments of the Women's Board of the Pan-American Exposition. She was also appointed by the Governor of New York, commissioner to the Charleston Exposition in 1902, and again served on the Board of Lady Managers of the St. Louis Exposition. She was appointed by President Francis of the Exposition, and Mrs. Blair, president of the Ladies' Board, chairman of the Committee on Exposition interests at the National Congress of the Daughters of the American Revolution, held at Washington, February, 1903.

In close touch with all this patriotic work, in New York, there is an organization known as the Niagara Frontier Landmarks Association, of which Mrs. Horton is vice-president, a position which she has held since the formation of the society. The purpose of this society is to mark all important historical sites along the Niagara Frontier with tablets and monuments. At La Salle was erected a tablet commemorative of the building, by La Salle, of "The Griffon," the first boat to navigate the waters of the north; Mrs. Horton drove the stake to mark the spot, and also unveiled the tablet at the ceremonies held afterwards. Later on, when a tablet was placed in the Niagara Gorge to mark the spot of the Devil's Hole Massacre, Mrs. Horton, in the name of the Colonial Dames, unveiled the tablet. When the site of "Fort Tompkins" was marked by the society, Mrs. Horton presided over the program and made the principal address, and on the momentous occasion of placing a tablet to mark the site of the first Court House of Erie County, it was Buffalo's gifted townswoman who presided, gave the