(Riverton, WY) – During the month of April 2023, the Riverton Senior Center is graciously displaying the Patriot Chest of the Wyoming Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. A case in the lobby is dedicated to the public display of reproduction artifacts from American colonial times. This is part of a program sponsored by the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Since 1889, the NSSAR has served as a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history and promoting education for future generations. As one of the largest male heritage societies in the country, SAR boasts tens
of thousands of active members in over 550 chapters across the United States and internationally.
The SAR Patriot Chest Program is an interactive presentation intended to complement elementary and middle school lesson plans on the Revolutionary War and the Colonial Period of American History. The program’s purpose is to bring that history alive, while providing students with a sense of the times and appreciation of the Patriot men and women who helped bid the foundation of our free nation. Each state society is expected to create and maintain a Patriot Chest. The Wind River Chapter, based in Fremont County, created the one for Wyoming.
“It’s a tremendous display,” observed RSC board member Frank Tanner. “It’s well worth coming to the Senior Center for a look.”
“The significance of a display such as this is that it imparts a visceral reaction to our shared history,” said Lori Weber, director of the Riverton Senior Center. “It gives you a feeling that there’s more here than just the basic knowledge that there was a revolution.”
Overall, the exhibit is intended to coincide with the anniversary of the first shots of the Revolutionary War, which were fired at Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts on April 19, 1775. Pvt. John Russell of the Danvers Alarm Company, was one of the militiamen who fought in the battle of Lexington. He was the 5th great-grandfather of Karl Falken, president of the local chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution.
“The distance between Danvers and Lexington is about twenty three miles, or just a few miles short of a marathon race,” Karl Falken noted. “I am proud of my patriot ancestor who (factoring in the probable distance he travelled from his residence to the muster point) marched the equivalent of a marathon in full gear, and then fought the British regulars at Lexington. Tens of millions of Americans today have at least one patriot ancestor, and they too should learn about their service to our nation and honor them.”
The National Society Sons of the American Revolution was founded in 1889 to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism. Its members are descended from the patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War. With more than 34,000 members in 50 societies and approximately 550 local chapters worldwide, SAR is one of the world’s leading male lineage organizations. SAR is dedicated to assisting our
members, schools, teachers and the general public in their efforts to sustain and preserve our history and constitutional principles To learn more about the work of today’s SAR, visit www.SAR.org or contact Karl Falken at [email protected].