Mt. Diablo Chapter, NSDAR

Danville, California

Welcome

Welcome to the Mt. Diablo Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR or DAR). Our members are a diverse group of women who have one common bond: an ancestor who served or assisted in the cause for American independence. If you are interested in joining the DAR and our chapter, please contact us for more information on how you can become a member. We would also like to invite you to join us at one of our chapter meetings to learn more about our organization and the various activities we are involved in.

Today’s DAR

See what the DAR is doing today. Check out our channel on YouTube!

About Us

Our namesake, Mt. Diablo, is important to the Bay Area. When California was first surveyed in 1851, Colonel Leander Ransom put the master base mark at the top of Mount Diablo. Land parcels in most of California and all of Nevada have names relating to the Mt. Diablo meridian and baseline. On a clear day, a view of Mt. Shasta — about a three to four-hour drive from the Bay Area — can be seen from the top of Mt. Diablo.

According to local legends, Mt. Diablo means “Devil’s Thicket,” referring to a grove of willows on the north side of the mountain thought to be inhabited by mischievous spirits. In 1806, Spanish soldiers were pursuing local Native Americans as part of the missionization. The natives hid in a thicket, and the Spaniards camped nearby intending to capture them in the morning; to the amazement of the watchful Spaniards, the Native Americans escaped during the night. The Spaniards attributed the clever escape to the help of the devil, thus naming the area “Monte del Diablo,” meaning “thicket of the devil.” English speakers later misinterpreted monte as mount or mountain.

The Mt. Diablo Chapter, NSDAR, was organized on January 18, 1961. We have over 145 members from all walks of life, ranging in age from 18 to 90. Our meetings, though originally held in Danville, are now held in the Walnut Creek area, and include a business meeting and a program. Attire is business casual.

Many of our chapter members volunteer their time by participating in parades, doing data entry for the national organization, placing historic markers, documenting cemetery burial sites, supporting the DAR schools, and any number of other avenues that contribute to the objectives of the DAR.

Annually, the Mt. Diablo Chapter, NSDAR, awards DAR Good Citizens certificates and a scholarship to a qualifying local high school senior with citizenship qualities such as dependability, community service, and leadership. In addition, the chapter contributes money and coupons nationally to DAR schools for the underprivileged and several Native American schools.

The Mt. Diablo Chapter, NSDAR, is proud to be affiliated with the Captain Molly Corbin Society, Children of the American Revolution (C.A.R.). Founded on April 5, 1895, C.A.R. is the nation’s oldest and largest patriotic youth organization, offering membership to both girls and boys under the age of 21.

2026 - 2028 Chapter Board