Unidentified
Group in Texas
(early 1900s)
Who are these people? Why are they here?
Who are these people? Why are they here?
Shown above is a copy of a photograph found among numerous unidentified photos in the possession of Nolen WADSWORTH of Venus, Johnson Co., TX, in 1993. The present location of the original is not known. These photos had been discovered in the home of Nolen's parents, George W. WADSWORTH (1871–1953) and "Bettie" McBRAYER (1871–1944), many years after their deaths. They also had lived in Venus but spent most of their adult lives in neighboring Ellis County, frequenting such places as Mountain Peak, Oak Branch, Griffith Switch, and the old Fairview community. Their connection, if any, to the group pictured above is uncertain.
This particular image immediately captured my attention and piqued my imagination. Just who were these people? Where were they? And what drew such a large crowd to this seemingly remote location? The photograph itself, despite its obvious imperfections, offers several clues that hopefully will answer these questions. They are highlighted below.
NEW — See one researcher's opinion below.
< Detail of left side | Detail of right side >
After digitally enlarging and enhancing the photograph, it becomes clear that the setting is a cemetery and the group is gathered around a large engraved headstone. A few women and children are present, but the crowd comprises mostly men. A closer inspection reveals that a majority of the men are wearing embellished badges and ribbons, undoubtedly signifying membership in some club or organization. A large flag — presumably the association's standard — rises above and behind the headstone. All of these objects are examined in more detail below.
Detail of badges & ribbons
In these enlargements, one can make out only a rough outline of the organization's insignia. No similar symbols were found in a quick search of the more familiar fraternal and veterans' groups (e.g., Moose, Elk, Mason, WOW, IOOF, GAR, SCV, etc.). It is perhaps more likely that the men belonged to some professional association, such as those established for police officers and firefighters. Other possibilities certainly exist.
Detail of flag
(mirror image)
Visible printing on the flag provides other clues. One furl reveals only a fragment of two words: "...AL..." and "...XA..." Considering where the photograph was found, it is reasonable to suggest that the second word is "TEXAS." The full line may have included the name of a town. Another fold, likely near the top of the banner, shows what appears to be "...ERRY CAMP." While it is known that various veterans' groups are organized under such names as Robert E. Lee Camp and Ulysses S. Grant Camp, it is still unclear if the last four letters seen above are interpreted correctly. Even if they are, might they be followed by other letters (e.g., CAMPBELL, CAMPAIGN, etc.)?
Detail of headstone
Several attempts were made through digital enhancement to improve the legibility of the inscription seen above. Still, the best results were achieved by holding a magnifying glass over the "original" copy of the photograph. The dates are fairly easy to decipher, but interpretations of the person's name tend to vary with each interpreter. One cause of confusion is the seemingly uniform spacing of the letters, which makes the top line look like a single, long name. The best guess at this point follows:
VS COSGROVE
(or WS COSGROVE)
BORN
FEB 14, 18__
DIED
AUG 30, 1908
Another clue may be found at the base of the headstone (between the shoulder and elbow of the man in the foreground). Again, a rough outline of a symbol or emblem appears to be carved in the stone. More research is needed to identify this marking.
One researcher's opinion
"As a former Woodman of the World (WOW) agent in North Texas, I have seen many old pictures like this around. I believe I see a Woodman Stump at bottom of the marker. I understand it was a tradition of the old Woodman camps to go out and mark the placement of the grave marker for a Lodge member. They were not the only old fraternal Insurance Company to do so but it was a very important part of Woodman until after WWI when they began doing away with the markers. There was no real official standard for the markers, so they could vary from place to place. The fraternal Benefit simply paid so much for a marker and sent some few written guidelines to the Fraternal Lodges to give to the company who was selected to make it. There also was Modern Woodman of America, who also had a number of Fraternal Lodges. Both call their lodges Camps. They would all dress up, and go out to the grave site with the family, holding a ritualized memorial service for the dead member. In those days in the small Texas towns, these fraternal Lodges were abundant. They first were elected to membership, then made eligible for fraternal Life insurance benefits. There were many such groups, all had banners, badges and very extreme officer titles. The Woodman usually named a camp or Lodge for a Wood, Tree, or major Shrub growing in the area. The women and children would not have been members, only the men [...] But I do believe that this what you have...." — Doug Braden (04/24/2008)
After I received this e-mail, I began checking the Web for photographs of old Woodman markers. I found one site dedicated to "Hosea 'Hosey' Ausbrooks Peden" (by Mark DiVecchio), which includes the photograph below. The caption reads: "As a WOW member, Hosea was given an grave stone by that order. The unveiling was held on Sept 25, 1904 [...] This is a 1946 photo of Stella standing next to her father's gravestone at the El Dorado Cemetery [...] On my scan I enlarged the gravestone and it does have Hosea's name on it. I could not see any WOW markings, though." If you look closely at the middle support of the headstone, you can barely discern an image that looks very similar (in shape and placement) to the symbol on the subject headstone above.
