Two decades ago, Todd Adams of Conestoga set out on a journey to trace his family tree all the way back to its first roots in American soil. The avid genealogist and Conestoga Area Historical Society (CAHS) trustee sought evidence to validate certain chapters in his family's story, but Todd's quest would lead him to discover pieces of his past that he never knew existed.

Todd's primary goal was to validate his lineage on his mother's side of the family, which he traced back to his sixth great-grandfather Michael Quickel. Due to Quickel's military service during the Revolutionary War, Todd decided that he could validate his lineage by having his descendance acknowledged by the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). The nonprofit organization's mission is to promote patriotism, to educate Americans about the country's history and to recognize individuals' ancestors who fought in the Revolutionary War.

Todd researched his family tree for more than a decade, scouring the depths of historical societies and public records throughout Lancaster and York counties. Todd examined his ancestors' signatures and completed DNA testing as he gathered the proof of his lineage; however, Quickel was not yet officially recognized by SAR as a patriot, which the organization defines as a man who fought in the Revolutionary War or aided the cause by providing supplies or supporting the military in other ways. Four years ago, Todd learned that Quickel was finally recognized as a patriot by SAR and the Daughters of the American Revolution, an organization that shares SAR's mission but focuses on the women who helped the United States earn its independence. Todd assembled his findings and investigated his lineage further to satisfy SAR's requirements. "I knew this was my chance to put this lineage together and try to get them to validate it," Todd said.

While Todd continued to research his mother's side of the family, his contact at SAR made a discovery: Todd's father was also a descendant of an American patriot named Asa Putney. Unlike Todd's connection to Quickel, his link to Putney was unquestionable; Todd's patriot ancestry was backed by a written testimony from a court in New Hampshire that detailed Putney's exploits in the war. Todd spent hours transcribing the centuries-old, cursive document, and he learned that Putney fought in two of the most pivotal skirmishes in the war: the Battle of Bennington and the Battle of Bunker Hill. "(Putney) was wounded in the Battle of Bennington. If there was not victory at Bennington, the United States likely would have lost the Battle of Saratoga," Todd said. The Battle of Saratoga, which refers to a series of clashes between American and British forces in upstate New York, is regarded as a significant turning point in the Revolutionary War.

Although Todd is still in the process of having his connection to Quickel verified by SAR, he is now officially recognized by the organization as a descendant of Putney. On Nov. 9, an SAR representative met Todd; his son, Trevor Adams; and Todd's father, Les Adams, at CAHS to present each of them with certificates of their patriot heritage. The representatives, who were dressed in period-accurate attire, handed the Adams their certificates in the Harnish House, a stone building that was constructed circa 1740.

For more information about SAR, visit http://www.sar.org.