Ponca City, Oklahoma Odd Fellows (IOOF) Cemetery Grand Army of the Republic Memorial

Not long after the establishment of Ponca City, a Rutherford B. Hayes Chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), and the Fairchild Chapter of the Women's Relief Corps (WRC) were established. Among the goals of the organizations were rendering aid to surviving Union Veterans and their families. The local Chapters purchased several plots from the IOOF Cemetery at Ponca City and placed a Memorial to honor those who served in the Civil War. The GAR Memorial area is defined by four 4-inch square blocks etched with “GAR” and placed at the corners. A 3-tier white marble obelisk is in the center, surrounded by 18 graves which are marked with white marble tombstones provided by the U.S. Government. These markers generally list only the deceased veteran’s name and the military unit with which the man served; although two markers identify the rank of Corporal. No birth dates or death dates are inscribed on the stones. The States and number of veterans represented are: Illinois (4), Indiana (4), Missouri (5), Iowa (1), New York (1), Ohio (1), Tennessee (1), and West Virginia (1). The types of units and number represented are: Infantry (10), Cavalry (6), Home Guards (1), and unknown (1). The features of the Memorial face west. There are four unmarked rows consisting of groupings of veterans’ markers, as well as individual grave sites. Row 1 (westernmost, and along 2nd Street) is bound by “GAR” blocks on the north and south, and has 4 military markers grouped on the south, together with an unknown non-military marker for an individual named “Barber.” Row 2 has 2 separated military markers, with one to the north of center and the other to the south. Row 3 features the obelisk centered in a grouping of 6 markers, with an adjacent flagpole on the south. Row 4 has a grouping of 4 military markers to the north, and 1 separated to the south. The groupings and individual markers, along the rows, are aligned and set on concrete pads that support the markers and obelisk, and anchors the flagpole. Close behind (east of) Row 4 are two “GAR” blocks, on the north and south, which mark the memorial boundary. The obelisk is 3-tiered. The 1st (bottom) tier is a 1 ½ foot square of marble, tapered at the upper edge to a flat top, some 16 inches high, with a carved arc rising in the middle of the front face only; the 2nd (middle) tier is a vertically-mounted rectangular block of marble 14 inches wide by some 3 feet tall, with a rounded and molded top, tapering to a flat top; the 3rd (top) tier is a tall spire, 10 inches wide at the base and tapering upward some 6 feet to a pyramidal (pointed) top. On the west face, the 1st tier is inscribed: “1861-1865” (the inclusive dates of the Civil War); the 2nd tier is inscribed: “To The Memory Of Our Heroic Dead” above an etched pair of crossed sabers (representing the Cavalry); the 3rd tier markings are indistinct but appear to display an eagle with wings displayed, and crossed cannons above stacked cannon balls. On the south face, the 1st tier is etched with a pair of crossed rifles with fixed bayonets (representing the Infantry); the 2nd and 3rd tiers have no distinguishable markings. On the east face, the 1st tier is inscribed: “1898” (date of Memorial’s dedication); the 2nd tier is inscribed: “Erected By The R.B. Hayes” (Chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic) “W.R.C.” (Woman’s Relief Corps) “No. 9”; the 3rd tier is etched with a rendering of the Woman’s Relief Corps medal or badge. On the north face, the 1st tier is etched with a pair of crossed cannons (representing the Artillery); the 2nd tier has some indistinguishable etched writing in the lower right corner; the 3rd tier has no distinguishable markings. (Note: Ponca City is a city in Kay and Osage Counties, in north-central Oklahoma, some 18 miles south of the Kansas border, with a population of some 24,527 [2016]. It is the largest city in Kay County and is situated on the Arkansas River. The city was named after the Ponca Indian Tribe, which had been removed from Nebraska and resettled on allotted lands in Indian Territory [Oklahoma] from 1877-1880. The city’s economic development has been largely dependent on the boom and bust periods of the petroleum industry. It was a refining center for many years and the home of Marland Oil Company, and headquarters for Continental Oil Company [Conoco].) (Note: The "Grand Army of the Republic" [G.A.R.] was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, Navy, Marines and the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War for the Northern [Federal] forces.) (Note: The “Woman’s Relief Corps” [W.R.C.] was an Auxiliary organization to the GAR, chartered in 1883, and recognized by Congress in 1962. Its goals include preserving GAR and WRC records, perpetuating the memory of Union veterans of the Civil War, providing assistance to veterans, widows, and orphans of all wars, teaching and fostering patriotism, and advocating the principles of liberty and equality for all.) (Note: The Woman’s Relief Corps [WRC] badge is a Maltese Cross with the Grand Army of the Republic [GAR] Medallion in the center, encircled by a wreath of stars. Within the circle, are depicted the American Flag, and 5 figures: the Goddess of Liberty, a Soldier, a Woman, a Boy, and a Child. The 4 points of the Cross are individually inscribed, beginning with the viewing left, and moving clockwise: “WOMAN’S RELIEF CORPS 1883”) (Note: The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political and non-sectarian international fraternity founded in 1918 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Order became the first Fraternity in the United States to include both men, and women (Rebekahs). It claims a membership of some 600,000 with some 10,000 lodges in some 26 countries.)