H I S T O R Y

Of

MOLLIE MOORE DAVIS 217

UNITED DAUGHTERS OF THE CONFEDERACY

TYLER, TEXAS

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On March 11, 1898, a number of ladies met in Tyler for the purpose of organizing a “Chapter of the Daughters of the Confederacy.”  Mrs. J. A. Brown was chosen temporary chairman.  The chapter was chartered April 9, 1898, with 81 members.  It has been said that the list of early members read like a Who’s Who list of Tyler.  Ladies from the most prominent families were members consisting of wives, widows and daughters of Veterans.  The name was later changed to "Mollie Moore Davis Chapter" in honor of a girl poet living in Tyler during the 1860’s. 

During the training of soldiers for the War Between the States near Tyler, 231 died with pneumonia, measles and other diseases.  It was necessary to provide a burial place for these boys.  The City Cemetery (the name Oakwood Cemetery was given in 1908) had been given to Tyler for a burial ground, so the City set aside a plot 300 feet square for the soldiers.  The soldiers’ graves were cleaned about once a year.  The rest of the time the graves would be grown over with brush and weeds.  People needing burial space could stake off a few feet from the soldiers’ plot until it narrowed down to its present size.

After first securing a deed from the City, the members began at once to care for the soldiers’ plot.  The Chapter wanted to place a monument on their plot, so the members spent years raising money by giving teas, dinners, and accepting donations.  A contact was made with Morris Brothers Marble Works to furnish the monument for $5,000.00.  The base of the monument was to be made of Georgia marble and topped with the statue of a Confederate Soldier carved from Italian marble.

In 1907 Mollie Moore Davis 217 recorded 100 members!

The Confederate Monument was finally unveiled on July 7, 1909.  Mrs. Cone Johnson was the Chapter President during this period.  The unveiling of the monument was a gala day in Tyler.  All stores closed.  Everyone met at the Courthouse, and then marched to the Cemetery.  Among those marching were 89 Veterans, bands, flag bearers, all the members of Mollie Moore Davis 217, choirs from all churches, and school children.  There was 5,000 or more people gathered in Oakwood Cemetery to take part in the unveiling of our Confederate Monument. 

For the next few years the Chapter was very busy caring for the Veterans – delivering gift baskets to all the Veterans at Christmas and bestowing the Cross of Honor medals on them.  Our Chapter bestowed a total of 126 Crosses on Veterans in this area.

During World War I our Chapter met every Thursday at the Library from 2:00-5:00 to do Red Cross work – making bandages, etc.  The members also bought Liberty Bonds and raised money to help support hospital beds at the American Military Hospital in France.

In March of 1935, the member of Mollie Moore Davis 217 met in a called session at the home of Mrs. Dora Brown, President, to discuss buying some of the land at Camp Ford.  They voted to buy approximately two acres of land at Camp Ford, which was established as a training camp during the War Between the States and in 1863 became a prison camp – the largest War Between the States Prison west of the Mississippi.  With the help of donations from interested citizens, the Chapter also purchased 8.1 acres of land.  They had one purpose in mind – to restore Camp Ford.  After several months of trying to raise funds to restore Camp Ford, the members of Mollie Moore Davis 217, realizing they could not do this alone, deeded the 8.1 acres of land to the Texas State Parks Board hoping they would help in restoring the Camp.  The Chapter retained approximately one acre of land which became a roadside park in 1941.

During World War II, our members were active in patriotic activities – serving as hostesses for the USO Center, Home Nursing, Red Cross Supervisors and working in the Civilian Defense office as well as buying War Bonds and stamps.

In 1962, Mollie Moore Davis 217 organized a Children of the Confederacy Chapter.  The C of C Chapter was chartered on September 8, 1962, under the name of Col. Rip Ford’s Rangers 608 and is an auxiliary to Mollie Moore Davis 217.

In 1966, our Chapter sold .078 acre of land at the Camp Ford site to the Texas Highway Department so that the highway could be widened.

In 1974, our Chapter was working on placing a flagpole at Oakwood Cemetery to fly the Confederate and U. S. flags on special days of observance.

In 1982, our Chapter reported only 31 members.

On July 20, 1991, a Confederate monument commemorating 600 Texas Confederates killed or wounded in the Battle of Honey Springs was unveiled at Honey Springs Battlefield Park near Checotah, Oklahoma.  The monument building was a project of the Texas Division of the UDC, spearheaded by Mollie Moore Davis 217.

In 1994, at the beginning of the current administration of Mrs. Charles (Maxine) Herbst, Mollie Moore Davis 217 had 36 members.

In 1995, our Chapter held our first Jefferson Davis Barbecue at the Edwards Plantation Bed & Breakfast in Tyler.  This Barbecue is to honor our only President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, and it is an annual event.  It is a day of awards, celebration and fellowship between the Chapter members, Sons of Confederate members and guests.

The Camp Ford Preservation Committee was formed in 1993 – its parent organization being the Smith County Historical Society.  The Committee began the task of restoring Camp Ford by first appropriating the property around the site.  On Sunday, May 19, 1996, our Chapter transferred the deed of the remaining property (.717 acre) to the Smith County Historical Society.  Our Chapter President, Mrs. Charles (Maxine) Herbst, had the honor of handing the deed to the President of the Smith County Historical Society during a ceremony at the Camp Ford site.  At this time, the Camp Ford Historical Site is well on its way to becoming a reality, so the goal of those early members of our Chapter is finally being accomplished. 

In 1996, our Chapter also started again (after many years of not doing so) carrying gift bags at Christmas time to Veterans at the VA Hospital

In 1997, our Chapter helped start the Oakwood Cemetery Preservation Committee.  The cemetery is being restored and has been designated as a historic cemetery.  After 100 years of our Chapter trying to persuade the City of Tyler to make some provision to care for Oakwood Cemetery, the City started a Trust Fund.  The fund became a Perpetual Care Fund and will be added to until it reaches $1,000,000.00.  The City told Mrs. Herbst that our Chapter could rest assured that Oakwood Cemetery would always be cared for.

During all these years our Chapter has entertained the State Confederate Veterans Reunion, State UDC Conventions, District Workshops, held local celebrations of historical events, bestowed Crosses of Military Service on Veterans and their descendants, marked historic places, sent 1000 roses to Jefferson Davis’ home, and planted 500 roses at Camp Ford.  We have placed historical books and magazines in public schools and libraries, given medals for historical research, been active in living histories to the public and to schools.  Our Chapter also gives a Scholarship each year to a student who has an ancestor who fought in the War Between the States and who attends Tyler Junior College or The University of Texas at Tyler.

On Sunday, November 14, 1999, the Mollie Moore Davis Chapter 217, the Oakwood Cemetery Restoration Committee, and the Tyler Parks and Recreation Department held a Rededication Ceremony for Oakwood Cemetery.  Our speaker was F. Lawerence Oaks, Executive Director, Texas Historical Commission.   U. S. Congressman Ralph Hall presented our President, Maxine Herbst, with a US Flag, which had flown over the Capitol in Washington, D.C., to fly on our new flag pole in Oakwood Cemetery.  Many other dignitaries were present for this event.  Since the date of this event, the Oakwood Cemetery Restoration Committee (Mollie Moore Davis 217) has practically finished the restoration of the cemetery, working with the Tyler Parks and Recreation Department every step of the way.  Oakwood has been designated a ‘Historic Texas Cemetery’, part of the Soldiers’ Plot (100 ft X 100 ft) has been roped off.  The original plot was 300 ft X 300 ft, but due to the drives that have been put in the cemetery, it was not possible to rope the entire plot off.  At the present time we are working on getting a “Texas Historical Marker” for the Soldiers’ Plot.

The Camp Ford Historical Association, Inc. was chartered in June 1999 and is a 501(c)(3) Corporation.  Our President is one of the officers and many of our Chapter’s members are also members.  CFHA has purchased land and buildings directly across US Hwy 271 from the Camp Ford Park and will develop Camp Ford Historical Center.  The Center will have a museum, visitor's center and auditorium/meeting room.  Our Chapter's archives will have a home in the museum, and the Historical Center will be the home of our Jefferson Davis Barbeque Luncheon every year.

On Saturday, April 2, 2005, our Oakwood Cemetery Restoration Committee presented a walking history tour entitled 'The Spirits of Oakwood' through Historic Oakwood Cemetery in Tyler.   This event was approved by the City of Tyler and will become an annual event.  The proceeds from the event will be used to repair hundreds of broken monuments in the cemetery.

During the past few years our membership dropped off, due to  many of our elderly  members passing away.  They were all very special and will be remembered.

Our Chapter adopted a Division Flag that needed to be conserved.  With the help of other UDC Chapters and SCV Camps, we raised over $13,000.00 to have the flag conserved, and it is now in the UDC Museum.

We have continued to present medals to service men, donate gifts and clothing to VA Hospitals, donate books to libraries, place markers in cemeteries, sponsor our C of C Chapter, the Col. “Rip” Ford’s Rangers 608, and send cards to real daughters.

By the end of the year our Chapter membership will be over 55, and we will work to keep it growing.

If you would like further information about  Mollie Moore Davis 217, please contact chapter president, Mrs. Maxine Herbst.

[Home]  [General]  [Division]  [Chapter History]  [Mrs. Moore Biography]  [Col. "Rip" Ford's Rangers]  [Why I am A Daughter of the Confederacy]  [Membership]  [Objectives]  [Jefferson Davis BBQ]  [Calendar]