Native Daughters of the Golden West is an American

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

organization for women born in

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. The organization focuses on the care and preservation of California history. It is the sister organization to the Native Sons of the Golden West.

History

Founding at Pioneer Hall

The organization was founded in Pioneer Hall, a historic building located in Jackson, California. The first meeting took place on September 11, 1886, in the basement of the Hall. The meeting was called by Lilly O. Reichling. Approximately 20 women attended the first meeting. The hall is a

California Historical Landmark A California Historical Landmark (CHL) is a building, structure, site, or place in California that has been determined to have statewide historical landmark significance. Criteria Historical significance is determined by meeting at least one of ...

. On September 25, 1886, the Order was organized with Reichling serving as Secretary. Tina L. Kane was the first President. They called their meeting space a "

Parlor A parlour (or parlor) is a reception room or public space. In medieval Christian Europe, the "outer parlour" was the room where the monks or nuns conducted business with those outside the monastery and the "inner parlour" was used for necessar ...

" and the founding group was named Ursula.

Ursula Parlor No. 1

On March 7, 1887, charter officers were declared. Ursula No 1. had thirty-three founding members. Their first logo featured a

fawn Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...

. They changed it to include the symbols of

Minerva Minerva (; ett, Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic war. From the second century BC onward, the Roma ...

oriflamme The Oriflamme (from Latin ''aurea flamma'', "golden flame"), a pointed, blood-red banner flown from a gilded lance, was the battle standard of the King of France in the Middle Ages. The oriflamme originated as the sacred banner of the Abbey of St ...

and sheaves of wheat. It also had the letters "P.D.F.A." added. Their founding principles were: "Love of Home, Devotion to the Flag of our Country, Veneration of the Pioneers of California, and an Abiding Faith in the Existence of God." These principles remain today. Between March and June 1887, seventeen other Parlors were organized. In July they held their first Grand Parlor in

San Francisco, California San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

Today

The main San Francisco Parlor is located in a building designed by architect Julia Morgan.

Notable members

Report of Historical Landmarks Committee of the Native Daughters Golden West (1902)

Laura J. Frakes Laura J. Frakes was an American educator and civic worker, and the grand secretary of the Native Daughters of the Golden West. Early life Laura J. Frakes was a native of California. Career Laura J. Frakes was a very active civic worker and educato ...

Eliza D. Keith Eliza Douglas Keith (pen names, Erle Douglas and Di Vernon; 1854 – November 6, 1939) was an American educator, author, and journalist; she was also a social reformer and activist. Keith began teaching immediately after finishing her educatio ...

, grand president * Edith Christensen Wilson

Programs

The organization focuses on projects that retain and support the heritage of California. This includes historic restoration of

California Mission The Spanish missions in California ( es, Misiones españolas en California) comprise a series of 21 religious outposts or missions established between 1769 and 1833 in what is now the U.S. state of California. Founded by Catholic priests o ...

s, the maintaining of the Roster of California Pioneers,

scholarship A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need. Scholarsh ...

environmentalism Environmentalism or environmental rights is a broad philosophy, ideology, and social movement regarding concerns for environmental protection and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seek ...

child welfare Child protection is the safeguarding of children from violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect. Article 19 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child provides for the protection of children in and out of the home. One of the ways to e ...

, and the development of historic landmarks.

Publications

From 1905 through 1954 the Native Sons and Daughters of the Golden West published ''The Grizzly Bear''.; Also see
Stanford University Library holdings: ''The Grizzly Bear'' Volumes 1–18; 1907–1917
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References

External links

Official website
{{Authority control 501(c)(3) organizations Non-profit organizations based in San Francisco 1886 establishments in California Organizations established in 1886 History of California History of Amador County, California Women's organizations based in the United States Women in California