By Allison Peck
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The Daughters of the American Revolution Sioux Lookout Chapter is inviting the community to take part in a Constitution Day tradition that connects North Platte to events dating back to the founding of the United States.
The chapter will host its annual “Ringing of the Bells Across America” program Thursday, September 17, beginning at 2:30 p.m. on the south lawn of the Lincoln County Courthouse at Third and Dewey Streets, underneath the Liberty Tree.
Marie Gertsch with the Sioux Lookout Chapter said the event is intended to bring the community together for Constitution Week.
“We're hoping that everyone will take a moment for 30 minutes out of their day,” Gertsch said.
The program will include a Constitution Week proclamation from Mayor Brandon Kelliher and remarks from State Senator Mike Jacobson. The program will also include the posting of the flag, the Pledge of Allegiance and a short presentation before the bells are rung.
At 3 p.m. Central Time, bells will ring for one minute as part of the nationwide “Ringing of the Bells Across America” observance.
Gertsch said the tradition is rooted in the way bells were used to gather Americans for significant moments in the country's early history.
“Basically the bells were called for the people to join in in Philadelphia to hear the Declaration of Independence,” Gertsch said.
More than 11 years later, on September 17, 1787, bells were again used to call people together for the first public reading of the newly written U.S. Constitution.
The nationwide bell ringing takes place at the same moment across the country — 4 p.m. Eastern, 3 p.m. Central, 2 p.m. Mountain and 1 p.m. Pacific — creating a coordinated observance from coast to coast.
The local event also has a connection to North Platte history.
The Sioux Lookout Chapter was organized in North Platte in 1916, after 19 women submitted applications to establish the chapter.
The chapter's name comes from the Sioux Lookout statue located near Third and Dewey Streets. Gertsch said the statue originally stood south and east of North Platte on one of the highest hills in Lincoln County.
“It was used by Native Americans and the cavalry and people looking to see what was coming down the valley,” Gertsch said.
The statue remained at its original location for roughly 70 years before eventually being moved to North Platte around 2000 after sustaining damage. A member of the local DAR chapter, Mary Tanner, helped restore the statue.
The Liberty Tree where this year's Constitution Day program will be held also has a relatively recent history. Gertsch said the tree was dedicated about three years ago by the local Sons of the American Revolution chapter.
“We have a Liberty Tree in North Platte, and there's not too many of them across Nebraska,” Gertsch said.
The celebration of Constitution Week itself has a direct connection to the Daughters of the American Revolution. In 1955, the organization petitioned Congress to establish September 17 through September 23 as Constitution Week. The resolution was approved by Congress and signed into law by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956.
The DAR is a nonprofit, nonpolitical volunteer women's service organization focused on historic preservation, education and patriotism.
Gertsch said her own involvement with the organization grew out of an interest in family history. While researching her genealogy, she was approached by a DAR member who helped her discover a documented connection to a Revolutionary War participant.
“I was always this nerdy kid that had family history,” Gertsch said.
Her research eventually showed that a direct ancestor had served on the Continental Line during the Revolutionary War.
Gertsch now serves as the chapter's registrar and helps others research their own family histories. She said people who are interested can begin by documenting their first three generations, with the DAR helping members find and verify records.
“There's not too many people that can say that,” Gertsch said of tracing a family line back to someone who participated in the Revolutionary War. “They maybe think. It's kind of a prestige to be able to say, ‘I'm standing here today, and I can trace my lineage back to a Revolutionary soldier.’”
The DAR encourages anyone interested in genealogy to reach out and begin researching their family's history, even if they are unsure whether they have a connection to the Revolutionary War.
The September 17 Constitution Day program is open to the public. Organizers are encouraging community members and elected officials to attend.
Gertsch said the chapter is hoping for a large crowd.
“I'm looking for standing room only,” she said.
The program begins at 2:30 p.m. September 17 on the south lawn of the Lincoln County Courthouse under the Liberty Tree. The one-minute bell ringing will take place at 3 p.m.