Welcome to the Rancho Simi Chapter, NSDAR

Welcome to the Rancho Simi Chapter, NSDAR

The Rancho Simi Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR or DAR), was organized with 31 members on November 6, 2011, and approved by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution's National Board of Management on December 10, 2011.

Our chapter name comes from our local history. Rancho Simí, also known as Rancho San José de Nuestra Señora de Altagracia y Simí, was a 113,009-acre (457 km) Spanish land grant in eastern Ventura and western Los Angeles counties granted in 1795 to Santiago Pico. Rancho Simí was the earliest Spanish colonial land grant within Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.

The name derives from Shimiji, the name of the Chumash Native American village here before the Spanish. It was the largest Spanish or Mexican land grant given in Ventura County and one of the largest given in California. The Simi Adobe-Strathearn House, later the home of Robert P. Strathearn and family, served as the headquarters of the Rancho San José de Nuestra Señora de Altagracia y Simí.

Since 2011 we have more than doubled our membership, and we are still growing! Most members of our chapter reside in Simi Valley, but local residency is not a requirement for membership in any chapter.

We are a group of women of all ages with varied backgrounds, talents, and professional experiences in many fields, each of whom is respected and valued as a member.

We are dedicated to promoting the objectives of the NSDAR, a national, nonprofit, non-political, volunteer women's service organization. Any woman 18 years or older, who can prove lineal, bloodline descent from an ancestor who aided in achieving American independence, is eligible to join the DAR.

Chapter meetings are held on weekends from January through May and September through November and include chapter business and a program presented by a guest speaker.

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