History of the General Daniel Newnan Chapter

The General Daniel Newnan Chapter was the ambition of Mrs. Sara Beams.  When she moved to Coweta County, she found that the Sara Dickinson Chapter, organized in 1903, had been disbanded in 1957.  As an active member of NSDAR in another state, she began the process of starting a Chapter locally.

On January 18, 1986, nine members of NSDAR and interested persons met with State Officers at Mrs. Beams home to organize a chapter in Newnan, Ga. 

The Chapter was named for General Daniel Newnan, an outstanding Georgia statesman who served in the War of 1812.  

General Newnan commanded the Georgia volunteers as Captain of the Militia in two actions with the East Florida Indians in the Fall of 1812.  After the war, he resided on his plantation near McDonough, Georgia, and in November 1813 General Newnan was made Brigadier General.  In January 1814, he was given vote of thanks by the General Assembly of the State of Georgia for the courage, patriotism and fortitude manifested in his service against the Creek Indians.  In 1817 he was commission as Major General of the State Militia. 

In 1825 he was elected to the office of Secretary of State of Georgia and elected to the U.S. Congress, serving from March 1831 to March 1833. 

General Newnan died in Walker County, Georgia, on January 16, 1851 and is buried at Newnan Springs near Rossville, Georgia. 

(Information taken from Coweta County Chronicles - 1928 edition.)

On October 10, 1986, the General Daniel Newnan Chapter was officially chartered with thirty members. 

Past Regents

Mrs. Sara Beams, Mrs. Nancy Murphy,

Mrs. Leslie Baran,  Mrs. Catherine Clark,

Mrs. Clara Musick, Mrs. Barbara Tornow,

Mrs. Jane Trammell, Mrs. Ann Williams,

Mrs. Marcia Swetmon, Mrs. Brenda Jessel

The General Daniel Newnan Chapter serves Coweta, Fayette, and Meriwether Counties.  Below is an early history of the formation of those counties:

Coweta County

Coweta County was formed from Muscogee Creek Indian lands in 1825 after the Treaty of Indian Springs and named for the Creek Indian town of Coweta.  In 1825 the first county seat of Coweta County was called Bullsboro and located about two miles east of the present day court square.  The county seat of Newnan was formed in 1828 and named for General Daniel Newnan.

Fayette County

Fayette County was created from Muscogee Creek Indian lands in 1821 and named for Marquis de LaFayette. The county seat of Fayetteville was formed in 1823 and was also named for LaFayette.

Meriwether County

Meriwether County was formed entirely from Troup County in 1827.  The county was named for former Georgia congressman, David Meriwether.  The site for the courthouse was selected and the town was named Greenville after Revolutionary War hero Nathanael Greene. 

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