Cole Younger and Family, Quantrill's Boys and the Tombstone Tourist

DaveVanP

Sr. Member
Oct 5, 2018
375
680
Coffeyville, KS
Detector(s) used
Minelab XTerra 705
Fisher F44
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Sorry for the delay in this...almost a two month illness with a family member and then they passed out of town on Mothers Day...Long Week.

View attachment 1593083 View attachment 1593083

I know the Dalton gang has been falsely accused of riding with James' and Younger's so they are not included in this. The Dalton's were related to Younger's but that's it. They were separate. They were also out of Kansas.


Kace

The Daltons didn't start their escapades until 1890, so, no, they didn't "ride with the James-Younger Gang"...
Their mother Adeline was Jim and Cole Younger's aunt, however. Grat was born in 1861, Bob in 1869, and Emmett in 1871.
 

OP
OP
Kace

Kace

Bronze Member
Aug 15, 2017
2,099
4,910
Detector(s) used
Whites DFX, Whites Bullseye 2 Pointer, Audio 200 D Headphones,
Garrett AT MAX, Garrett Pro-Pointer AT, MS-3 Headphones,
Lesche Digger, Lesche Shovel, 4' T Handle Probe.
GoPro, RC Truck, Drone.
Primary Interest:
Other
The Daltons didn't start their escapades until 1890, so, no, they didn't "ride with the James-Younger Gang"...
Their mother Adeline was Jim and Cole Younger's aunt, however. Grat was born in 1861, Bob in 1869, and Emmett in 1871.

Dave, with you being in Coffeeville, there's probably a lot of first hand information you've seen or heard about that's been passed down about the Dalton's being killed there in 1892 I think it was... Except Emmett.

Please Feel Free to share whatever you know, I'd like to hear about it from a local. I'm sure others would too.

There's been so much written linking the Dalton Gang to the James-Younger gang that I'm glad you posted the dates you did to show how impossible that would be and also showing the relationship link between the Dalton-Younger families.

If you'd like to join the discussion on the Black Book that's going on in another thread on this KGC forum, we'd like to have you...lots of Dalton claims in that book for sure. lol!

Kace
 

Ol' Kentuck

Hero Member
Jun 12, 2018
767
1,310
Primary Interest:
Other
Dont look now.jpg
 

OP
OP
Kace

Kace

Bronze Member
Aug 15, 2017
2,099
4,910
Detector(s) used
Whites DFX, Whites Bullseye 2 Pointer, Audio 200 D Headphones,
Garrett AT MAX, Garrett Pro-Pointer AT, MS-3 Headphones,
Lesche Digger, Lesche Shovel, 4' T Handle Probe.
GoPro, RC Truck, Drone.
Primary Interest:
Other
Here is an interesting tombstone for the tourist to admire. It was placed in 1868.

View attachment 1686902

Is that the one with the young brother and sister buried there that died of the measles?

The one I'm thinking of has a Masonic emblem on the other side, but for some reason their parents didn't use the plot.

It's a cool monument for sure. They liked Mushrooms.

Kace
 

L.C. BAKER

Silver Member
Sep 9, 2012
3,805
4,643
Nebraska City, Nebraska
Primary Interest:
Other
Not this one Kace, it is not in Wyuka at Nebraska City, However, it was carved by the same artist in Indiana for the same person. The Masonic symbol is there on this monument just like the other one, but it is not the one you would be used to identifying the Freemasons with. In this case, it is an unfinished ashlar sat upon a stump of a tree. Both are symbols of being struck down in life too early.:icon_thumright:


P.S. I believe you may be thinking of the linked chain symbol of the I.O.O.F. on the stump at Wyuka.:icon_thumright:
 

Last edited:
OP
OP
Kace

Kace

Bronze Member
Aug 15, 2017
2,099
4,910
Detector(s) used
Whites DFX, Whites Bullseye 2 Pointer, Audio 200 D Headphones,
Garrett AT MAX, Garrett Pro-Pointer AT, MS-3 Headphones,
Lesche Digger, Lesche Shovel, 4' T Handle Probe.
GoPro, RC Truck, Drone.
Primary Interest:
Other
Not this one Kace, it is not in Wyuka at Nebraska City, However, it was carved by the same artist in Indiana for the same person. The Masonic symbol is there on this monument just like the other one, but it is not the one you would be used to identifying the Freemasons with. In this case, it is an unfinished ashlar sat upon a stump of a tree. Both are symbols of being struck down in life too early.:icon_thumright

P.S. I believe you may be thinking of the linked chain symbol of the I.O.O.F. on the stump at Wyuka.:icon_thumright:

That is the one I'm thinking of with the Masonic Square and Compass on top and the 3 Link Oddfellows Chain on the stump.

Kace
 

uglymailman

Bronze Member
Feb 3, 2010
1,266
1,463
From the Clinton (MO) Daily Democrat by Dan Miles Editor
If you travel Highway 52 and, after leaving the Clinton city limits, turn right on Highway YY, go some distance and you will see the two large former Bronaugh family homes facing one another across the state route just before the hard surface road turns to gravel.
The Bronaugh family moved to Henry County some decades before the Civil War. When the war began, Warren C. Bronaugh enlisted in 1861 and served in the Mo. State Guard under Maj. Gen. Sterling Price and later the Confederate Army. He was at the Battle of Lone Jack (MO), and according to researcher Lyndon Irwin, became separated from his unit. Their unit deployed elsewhere with Bronaugh and another soldier in a "fix" because they could not locate their company. They met another Confederate soldier who told them where their unit was located and the two young men avoided capture by Union soldiers who had moved into the area.
Union soldiers used to occupy the large hill or mound on the west side of Highway 52 just before Route YY and used it for an observation post. The soldiers particularly kept a watch on the Bronaugh property to the East.
Bronaugh and his brothers were cattlemen and after the war they moved to TX. to establish ranches. Several years later, there was a drought, and facing financial ruin, the brothers returned to MO. and started another cattle ranch south of Nevada. A new town was founded in the ranch area and was named Bronaugh. Henry Countians traveling on US 71 in Vernon County have doubtless seen the signs for the town.
W.C. Bronaugh moved back to Clinton and resided here for many years. In his research, Irwin notes one part of Bronaugh family history is the relationship with the Younger brothers. The Younger Brothers rode with Jesse James and were arrested following the famous bank robbery at Northfield,MN.. The Younger brothers were also Confederate soldiers. Their family was among those families who were robbed numerous times by Jayhawkers out of Kansas.
Irwin says in 1876, the Younger's and their penchant for ridding with the James Gang had ended. They were convicted of the robbery and deaths associated withe the Northfield bank robbery and were sentenced to the MN. State Penitentiary with life sentences ahead of them.
In 1885, W.C. Bronaugh visited withe the Younger's at the state penitentiary. There is some question why he went to the prison and some theorize he felt a sense of loyalty to Confederate soldiers who were victims of circumstance. When Bronaugh met Cole Younger, he realized he was the soldier who had helped him at Lone Jack locate his unit and in a way saved his life.
However, Irwin states there is another theory about Bronaugh meeting the Younger's and it involves Frank James (Jesse's brother). Frank could certainly never go to MN. during his life or he would be arrested for the Northfield bank robbery. It was well established that W.C. Bronaugh and Frank James were not only friends, but good friends, lifelong friends. It is plausible that W.C. Brounugh's visit to the prison was actually on behalf of Frank.
For the next two decades, W.C. Bronaugh worked and spent a great deal of his own money lobbing for a parole of the Younger's. The Younger's were paroled in 1901 and it was W.C. Bronaugh who met them at the prison and escorted them home. It was not long after W.C. Bronaugh wrote "The Younger's Fight for Freedom" and it contains many letters he wrote to Younger, as well as an account of his efforts to gain paroles for them.
Two members of my family actually boated on the Osage River with Cole Younger around 1905. He had traveled to Warsaw (MO) with a circus where he was a featured attraction. E.M. White, Benton County Enterprise publisher, and his son M.N. White,10, took Younger for a boat ride. M.N.White told me that Cole Younger had them set up some floats and then asked if the boat could speed by them. Cole Younger stood up in the boat, pulled two pistols and repeatedly hit the floats as they roared by in that boat. M.N. White said Cole Younger had learned marksmanship from the back of a horse during an awful era of warfare.

Dan's Miles Grandfather was M.N. "Pinky" White. He was Editor of the Clinton Daily Democrat for many years and I carried grocery's for him at a local grocery. He was an interesting man.The local legends say the Bronaugh House had a tunnel leading out of it for escape. Years ago, one of the Youth Baseball teams I coached had a player that lived in one of the Bronaugh Houses. It was being remodeled while he was on the team. I asked his Dad about the tunnels. He said "OH yes, there is a tunnel from the House to a storm cellar. It's 4" in diameter and used as a drain". The first floor windows DID have brick from the window sill to the floor. If a "shootout" had occoured, there would have been some protection but no tunnels.
 

Ol' Kentuck

Hero Member
Jun 12, 2018
767
1,310
Primary Interest:
Other
From the Clinton (MO) Daily Democrat by Dan Miles Editor
If you travel Highway 52 and, after leaving the Clinton city limits, turn right on Highway YY, go some distance and you will see the two large former Bronaugh family homes facing one another across the state route just before the hard surface road turns to gravel.
The Bronaugh family moved to Henry County some decades before the Civil War. When the war began, Warren C. Bronaugh enlisted in 1861 and served in the Mo. State Guard under Maj. Gen. Sterling Price and later the Confederate Army. He was at the Battle of Lone Jack (MO), and according to researcher Lyndon Irwin, became separated from his unit. Their unit deployed elsewhere with Bronaugh and another soldier in a "fix" because they could not locate their company. They met another Confederate soldier who told them where their unit was located and the two young men avoided capture by Union soldiers who had moved into the area.
Union soldiers used to occupy the large hill or mound on the west side of Highway 52 just before Route YY and used it for an observation post. The soldiers particularly kept a watch on the Bronaugh property to the East.
Bronaugh and his brothers were cattlemen and after the war they moved to TX. to establish ranches. Several years later, there was a drought, and facing financial ruin, the brothers returned to MO. and started another cattle ranch south of Nevada. A new town was founded in the ranch area and was named Bronaugh. Henry Countians traveling on US 71 in Vernon County have doubtless seen the signs for the town.
W.C. Bronaugh moved back to Clinton and resided here for many years. In his research, Irwin notes one part of Bronaugh family history is the relationship with the Younger brothers. The Younger Brothers rode with Jesse James and were arrested following the famous bank robbery at Northfield,MN.. The Younger brothers were also Confederate soldiers. Their family was among those families who were robbed numerous times by Jayhawkers out of Kansas.
Irwin says in 1876, the Younger's and their penchant for ridding with the James Gang had ended. They were convicted of the robbery and deaths associated withe the Northfield bank robbery and were sentenced to the MN. State Penitentiary with life sentences ahead of them.
In 1885, W.C. Bronaugh visited withe the Younger's at the state penitentiary. There is some question why he went to the prison and some theorize he felt a sense of loyalty to Confederate soldiers who were victims of circumstance. When Bronaugh met Cole Younger, he realized he was the soldier who had helped him at Lone Jack locate his unit and in a way saved his life.
However, Irwin states there is another theory about Bronaugh meeting the Younger's and it involves Frank James (Jesse's brother). Frank could certainly never go to MN. during his life or he would be arrested for the Northfield bank robbery. It was well established that W.C. Bronaugh and Frank James were not only friends, but good friends, lifelong friends. It is plausible that W.C. Brounugh's visit to the prison was actually on behalf of Frank.
For the next two decades, W.C. Bronaugh worked and spent a great deal of his own money lobbing for a parole of the Younger's. The Younger's were paroled in 1901 and it was W.C. Bronaugh who met them at the prison and escorted them home. It was not long after W.C. Bronaugh wrote "The Younger's Fight for Freedom" and it contains many letters he wrote to Younger, as well as an account of his efforts to gain paroles for them.
Two members of my family actually boated on the Osage River with Cole Younger around 1905. He had traveled to Warsaw (MO) with a circus where he was a featured attraction. E.M. White, Benton County Enterprise publisher, and his son M.N. White,10, took Younger for a boat ride. M.N.White told me that Cole Younger had them set up some floats and then asked if the boat could speed by them. Cole Younger stood up in the boat, pulled two pistols and repeatedly hit the floats as they roared by in that boat. M.N. White said Cole Younger had learned marksmanship from the back of a horse during an awful era of warfare.

Dan's Miles Grandfather was M.N. "Pinky" White. He was Editor of the Clinton Daily Democrat for many years and I carried grocery's for him at a local grocery. He was an interesting man.The local legends say the Bronaugh House had a tunnel leading out of it for escape. Years ago, one of the Youth Baseball teams I coached had a player that lived in one of the Bronaugh Houses. It was being remodeled while he was on the team. I asked his Dad about the tunnels. He said "OH yes, there is a tunnel from the House to a storm cellar. It's 4" in diameter and used as a drain". The first floor windows DID have brick from the window sill to the floor. If a "shootout" had occoured, there would have been some protection but no tunnels.



EXCELLENT post. :icon_thumright:

Tunnels seem ta be a common claim in tha James/Younger legends, even carried over inta tha KGC legends attached ta them. Unfortunately, as you have pointed out, they are jest legend and not based on fact. Loved this post, keep 'em coming!
 

OP
OP
Kace

Kace

Bronze Member
Aug 15, 2017
2,099
4,910
Detector(s) used
Whites DFX, Whites Bullseye 2 Pointer, Audio 200 D Headphones,
Garrett AT MAX, Garrett Pro-Pointer AT, MS-3 Headphones,
Lesche Digger, Lesche Shovel, 4' T Handle Probe.
GoPro, RC Truck, Drone.
Primary Interest:
Other
From the Clinton (MO) Daily Democrat by Dan Miles Editor
If you travel Highway 52 and, after leaving the Clinton city limits, turn right on Highway YY, go some distance and you will see the two large former Bronaugh family homes facing one another across the state route just before the hard surface road turns to gravel.
The Bronaugh family moved to Henry County some decades before the Civil War. When the war began, Warren C. Bronaugh enlisted in 1861 and served in the Mo. State Guard under Maj. Gen. Sterling Price and later the Confederate Army. He was at the Battle of Lone Jack (MO), and according to researcher Lyndon Irwin, became separated from his unit. Their unit deployed elsewhere with Bronaugh and another soldier in a "fix" because they could not locate their company. They met another Confederate soldier who told them where their unit was located and the two young men avoided capture by Union soldiers who had moved into the area.
Union soldiers used to occupy the large hill or mound on the west side of Highway 52 just before Route YY and used it for an observation post. The soldiers particularly kept a watch on the Bronaugh property to the East.
Bronaugh and his brothers were cattlemen and after the war they moved to TX. to establish ranches. Several years later, there was a drought, and facing financial ruin, the brothers returned to MO. and started another cattle ranch south of Nevada. A new town was founded in the ranch area and was named Bronaugh. Henry Countians traveling on US 71 in Vernon County have doubtless seen the signs for the town.
W.C. Bronaugh moved back to Clinton and resided here for many years. In his research, Irwin notes one part of Bronaugh family history is the relationship with the Younger brothers. The Younger Brothers rode with Jesse James and were arrested following the famous bank robbery at Northfield,MN.. The Younger brothers were also Confederate soldiers. Their family was among those families who were robbed numerous times by Jayhawkers out of Kansas.
Irwin says in 1876, the Younger's and their penchant for ridding with the James Gang had ended. They were convicted of the robbery and deaths associated withe the Northfield bank robbery and were sentenced to the MN. State Penitentiary with life sentences ahead of them.
In 1885, W.C. Bronaugh visited withe the Younger's at the state penitentiary. There is some question why he went to the prison and some theorize he felt a sense of loyalty to Confederate soldiers who were victims of circumstance. When Bronaugh met Cole Younger, he realized he was the soldier who had helped him at Lone Jack locate his unit and in a way saved his life.
However, Irwin states there is another theory about Bronaugh meeting the Younger's and it involves Frank James (Jesse's brother). Frank could certainly never go to MN. during his life or he would be arrested for the Northfield bank robbery. It was well established that W.C. Bronaugh and Frank James were not only friends, but good friends, lifelong friends. It is plausible that W.C. Brounugh's visit to the prison was actually on behalf of Frank.
For the next two decades, W.C. Bronaugh worked and spent a great deal of his own money lobbing for a parole of the Younger's. The Younger's were paroled in 1901 and it was W.C. Bronaugh who met them at the prison and escorted them home. It was not long after W.C. Bronaugh wrote "The Younger's Fight for Freedom" and it contains many letters he wrote to Younger, as well as an account of his efforts to gain paroles for them.
Two members of my family actually boated on the Osage River with Cole Younger around 1905. He had traveled to Warsaw (MO) with a circus where he was a featured attraction. E.M. White, Benton County Enterprise publisher, and his son M.N. White,10, took Younger for a boat ride. M.N.White told me that Cole Younger had them set up some floats and then asked if the boat could speed by them. Cole Younger stood up in the boat, pulled two pistols and repeatedly hit the floats as they roared by in that boat. M.N. White said Cole Younger had learned marksmanship from the back of a horse during an awful era of warfare.

Dan's Miles Grandfather was M.N. "Pinky" White. He was Editor of the Clinton Daily Democrat for many years and I carried grocery's for him at a local grocery. He was an interesting man.The local legends say the Bronaugh House had a tunnel leading out of it for escape. Years ago, one of the Youth Baseball teams I coached had a player that lived in one of the Bronaugh Houses. It was being remodeled while he was on the team. I asked his Dad about the tunnels. He said "OH yes, there is a tunnel from the House to a storm cellar. It's 4" in diameter and used as a drain". The first floor windows DID have brick from the window sill to the floor. If a "shootout" had occoured, there would have been some protection but no tunnels.

Excellent Post UMM...I laughed Out Loud about the 4" Tunnel!

The information you posted is awesome! ...I have that Confederate Captain W.C. Bronaugh not only met the Youngers at the prison and escorted them home...but actually brought them to His home. Does that jive with what you've got?

I 'think' it looks like this home was by the old Royston place.

I also have that Dr. James H. Bronaugh was with the Windsor Guards and first came to that area when he was 6 in 1845. Is that the same info as you have?

Kace
 

uglymailman

Bronze Member
Feb 3, 2010
1,266
1,463
Hey Kace. That article was in the Local paper & I just coped it. I have no real info. I've heard that Lawyer Bronaugh worked to get the Younger's out and they visited when Cole came to the area but idk. There was a Dr. John W. Bronaugh who moved with his parents to a farm near Calhoun,MO. in 1846. They came from Mason Co.,VA. He lived in later years at Shawnee Mound,MO., North of Clinton in Henry CO. Before that at Germantown,MO, then for a few months in the Confederate army, then in Ark., then back to Calhoun. I don't know but would guess kin to Lawyer Bronaugh and their houses may be the ones mentioned in the article. Dr. James H. Bronaugh, his brother, was a 3rd Lt. in the Windsor guards. After the war he studied medicine with his brother John in Calhoun,MO. for 2 years then went to MO. Medical Collage in St. Louis, graduating in 1870 and then went back to Calhoun to practice. Story I get is Gen. Sterling Prices Bodyguard unit was from the Windsor (MO.) area. Windsor was founded in 1839. It was originally Belmont then Spring Grove and finally Windsor I believe there was a Union unit there or more precisely NEAR there and had a "Fort". That fort would have been nothing like a fort we now think of or one with the picket type logs. I believe it was called Ft. Lyon.
There were more than one Royston. One became a Co. assessor. One was the first Dr. at Huntingdale,MO. and I think he was in the war as a surgeon.
Dan Miles the Editor of the local paper prints a lot of notes from the War between Union Officers. Dispatches etc. He's a pretty knowledgeable guy on what went on. He is "under the weather" at this time. Has not been working for several weeks. I don't know his ailment. The above was a reprint from an earlier article.
 

L.C. BAKER

Silver Member
Sep 9, 2012
3,805
4,643
Nebraska City, Nebraska
Primary Interest:
Other
A 1952 catalog from the memorial industry included 8 pages of Sarcophagi being sold at that time. They were broken down into Georgian and Classical detail, a Gothic and Renaissance adaptation, and a Modern variant. The Warner Tomb in Laurel Hill and the monument of the famous sculptor Alexander Milne Calder in Laurel Hill are both good examples of that period of sarcophagi. However, this is a Sarcophagus that was placed in 1866. You will notice it has Lions and a special seal carved on the front of it as well.

1866 sarcophugus with lions and seal.jpg
 

OP
OP
Kace

Kace

Bronze Member
Aug 15, 2017
2,099
4,910
Detector(s) used
Whites DFX, Whites Bullseye 2 Pointer, Audio 200 D Headphones,
Garrett AT MAX, Garrett Pro-Pointer AT, MS-3 Headphones,
Lesche Digger, Lesche Shovel, 4' T Handle Probe.
GoPro, RC Truck, Drone.
Primary Interest:
Other
A 1952 catalog from the memorial industry included 8 pages of Sarcophagi being sold at that time. They were broken down into Georgian and Classical detail, a Gothic and Renaissance adaptation, and a Modern variant. The Warner Tomb in Laurel Hill and the monument of the famous sculptor Alexander Milne Calder in Laurel Hill are both good examples of that period of sarcophagi. However, this is a Sarcophagus that was placed in 1866. You will notice it has Lions and a special seal carved on the front of it as well.

View attachment 1695828

That style is very cool!

Kace
 

OP
OP
Kace

Kace

Bronze Member
Aug 15, 2017
2,099
4,910
Detector(s) used
Whites DFX, Whites Bullseye 2 Pointer, Audio 200 D Headphones,
Garrett AT MAX, Garrett Pro-Pointer AT, MS-3 Headphones,
Lesche Digger, Lesche Shovel, 4' T Handle Probe.
GoPro, RC Truck, Drone.
Primary Interest:
Other
I'd like to talk a little about Fonts and Symbolism when using Cemeteries and Researching The Deceased as a Tombstone Tourist.

I've said this before, but the 1st thing to keep in mind is ANYONE CAN PUT ANYTHING ON A TOMBSTONE...ANYTHING AT ALL....ANY NAME, ANY DATES, ANY SYMBOLS....ANYTHING. It's Perfectly Legal, even if not correct, and For Whatever Reason, Sometimes Folks Have and Do Misrepresent...Sometimes folks aren't even really buried under a tombstone with their name on it and you will find out after researching them they have multiple monuments.

WOW and Similar Type Monuments Are Not Indicitive of Belonging To Any Secret Society, Nor are the Symbols on those beautiful monuments always an affirmation or a clue to membership or affiliation to any select or secret organization. Even Freemason and other Fraternal Organization symbols do not mean 100% the person was a Freemason. The Temple in DC does have membership records that anyone can utilize with just a phone call.

I'm going to list the Top 3 Font Styles for Tombstones....All 3 of these have many variations. I keep font style lists and symbolism lists from several different sites on my phone because I really like touring cemeteries and it's helpful to understand the different fonts that can look like they are something else. Same with Symbols. STARS with different amounts of points are popular on tombstones. A lot of times the Surname Initial of the Deceased will be in the center of the Star.

After this post I will put up a more detailed symbol list along with meanings that most monument makers have used in the past and still use to this day. You can design your own too. It won't be tonight. lol!

Years ago folks a lot of times bought and designed their Monuments or Mausoleums decades before death. Lifespans were shorter, multiple marriages, children sometimes died in infancy and childhood more often and people didn't always move around after becoming established. Sometimes they wanted to be buried or interred where they Didn't Live. There are a myriad of reasons this can happen...So depending on the type of monument and if it looks like an Egyptian Revival period monument for instance, but dated much later, that could be that it was created for them much earlier when that style was more popular.

Okay, The Top 3 Fonts For Tombstones Are: Roman, Old English and Italic.

IMG_4080.PNG

Here are examples of each...Pay Particular Attention To The Old English (sometimes referred to as Gothic). Many, Many Small Variations.

ROMAN:

IMG_4082.PNG

OLD ENGLISH and NEW OLD ENGLISH:

IMG_4037.PNG

IMG_4042.PNG

IMG_4045.PNG

SEVERAL ITALIC Fonts and Several Other Fonts:

IMG_4085.PNG


There has been some discussion on here regarding these two monuments pictured below. One is kin of mine so I'm going to use them for quick reference for those looking at tombstones. It's easy with these Fonts to think it's something other than what it really is due to the type of font.

IMG_4040.PNG

This man Really Was A Mason as the Upper Symbol Indicates....The Letter 'E' In The Square below Is A Version of the Old English Font...The Letter 'E' is the First Letter of their Last Name. There is Not a Crescent Moon, It's Not KGC...It's just a style that particular font uses on some of it's letters. It looks more like an F, but it is an E as shown on the Font Charts.

On the monument below is the Letter 'T' in the Old English Font Style, Also Looking Like a Crescent Moon on the left, it's not, but The 'T' Is Engraved inside the Star of Lakshmi...Its an 8 pointed Star symbolizing 8 forms of Wealth....Typically they are, Prosperity, Knowledge, Strength, Power, Health, Intelligence, Happiness and Virtuous Offspring.

Lakshmi is a a Hindu Goddess...However you'll find the two square symbol on Irish, Italian, French, English and other ethnic tombstones too. It's Not Specific To Any One Religion or Ethnicity.

IMG_4062.PNG . IMG_4089.PNG

Some of the Italic fonts are difficult to determine which letter they are as well depending on which variation is used...I'll post a pic or two of those next time.

I hope this helps a little and saves some time if you see this writing and symbolism on Tombstones.

Kace
 

Last edited:

Ol' Kentuck

Hero Member
Jun 12, 2018
767
1,310
Primary Interest:
Other
Excellent post! Very informative with stellar research. Thank you for sharing this Kace. :icon_thumright:
 

L.C. BAKER

Silver Member
Sep 9, 2012
3,805
4,643
Nebraska City, Nebraska
Primary Interest:
Other
I'd like to talk a little about Fonts and Symbolism when using Cemeteries and Researching The Deceased as a Tombstone Tourist.

I've said this before, but the 1st thing to keep in mind is ANYONE CAN PUT ANYTHING ON A TOMBSTONE...ANYTHING AT ALL....ANY NAME, ANY DATES, ANY SYMBOLS....ANYTHING. It's Perfectly Legal, even if not correct, and For Whatever Reason, Sometimes Folks Have and Do Misrepresent...Sometimes folks aren't even really buried under a tombstone with their name on it and you will find out after researching them they have multiple monuments.

WOW and Similar Type Monuments Are Not Indicitive of Belonging To Any Secret Society, Nor are the Symbols on those beautiful monuments always an affirmation or a clue to membership or affiliation to any select or secret organization. Even Freemason and other Fraternal Organization symbols do not mean 100% the person was a Freemason. The Temple in DC does have membership records that anyone can utilize with just a phone call.

I'm going to list the Top 3 Font Styles for Tombstones....All 3 of these have many variations. I keep font style lists and symbolism lists from several different sites on my phone because I really like touring cemeteries and it's helpful to understand the different fonts that can look like they are something else. Same with Symbols. STARS with different amounts of points are popular on tombstones. A lot of times the Surname Initial of the Deceased will be in the center of the Star.

After this post I will put up a more detailed symbol list along with meanings that most monument makers have used in the past and still use to this day. You can design your own too. It won't be tonight. lol!

Years ago folks a lot of times bought and designed their Monuments or Mausoleums decades before death. Lifespans were shorter, multiple marriages, children sometimes died in infancy and childhood more often and people didn't always move around after becoming established. Sometimes they wanted to be buried or interred where they Didn't Live. There are a myriad of reasons this can happen...So depending on the type of monument and if it looks like an Egyptian Revival period monument for instance, but dated much later, that could be that it was created for them much earlier when that style was more popular.

Okay, The Top 3 Fonts For Tombstones Are: Roman, Old English and Italic.

View attachment 1700174

Here are examples of each...Pay Particular Attention To The Old English (sometimes referred to as Gothic). Many, Many Small Variations.

ROMAN:

View attachment 1700175

OLD ENGLISH and NEW OLD ENGLISH:

View attachment 1700176

View attachment 1700177

View attachment 1700178

SEVERAL ITALIC Fonts and Several Other Fonts:

View attachment 1700179


There has been some discussion on here regarding these two monuments pictured below. One is kin of mine so I'm going to use them for quick reference for those looking at tombstones. It's easy with these Fonts to think it's something other than what it really is due to the type of font.

View attachment 1700180

This man Really Was A Mason as the Upper Symbol Indicates....The Letter 'E' In The Square below Is A Version of the Old English Font...The Letter 'E' is the First Letter of their Last Name. There is Not a Crescent Moon, It's Not KGC...It's just a style that particular font uses on some of it's letters. It looks more like an F, but it is an E as shown on the Font Charts.

On the monument below is the Letter 'T' in the Old English Font Style, Also Looking Like a Crescent Moon on the left, it's not, but The 'T' Is Engraved inside the Star of Lakshmi...Its an 8 pointed Star symbolizing 8 forms of Wealth....Typically they are, Prosperity, Knowledge, Strength, Power, Health, Intelligence, Happiness and Virtuous Offspring.

Lakshmi is a a Hindu Goddess...However you'll find the two square symbol on Irish, Italian, French, English and other ethnic tombstones too. It's Not Specific To Any One Religion or Ethnicity.

View attachment 1700181 . View attachment 1700186

Some of the Italic fonts are difficult to determine which letter they are as well depending on which variation is used...I'll post a pic or two of those next time.

I hope this helps a little and saves some time if you see this writing and symbolism on Tombstones.

Kace

That is excellent research on the script that was used by the K.G.C. as an eye catcher Kace keep up the good work. The point you are missing or avoiding, I don't know which, is in order to hide a treasure symbol in plain sight it has got to have a plain explanation otherwise it would stick out to EVERYBODY and draw EVERYONE's attention to it! If you are trying to make a point about the T symbol not being used by the secret society of the K.G.C. to mark a treasure trail then you are very mistaken as it has already lead to the next clue and next site. That was part of the "secret" I have not explained yet, I will post a video for you guys to watch on youtube so you can see how the symbolism is used by them on this trail. Kace has selected to discuss the symbol and I will show you guys how everything she has studied and taken the time to put together for us is 100% true and that the symbol she pictured above was also used by the K.G.C. in Nebraska to hide a specific heading on a trail not once, but twice. Right now we are involved in the hunt so I can't say much more about any specifics of the sites until I publish the video of the hunts as they happen. A picture is worth a thousand words, but only if the people seeing it can understand the picture as explained. :icon_thumleft: The video will make it easier for everyone to understand how it was used in real time and leave NO doubt or errand to figure for the skeptics and the explanation for the choice of script chosen by the society to use to mark their trail will become evident to all.:icon_thumleft:

Until then, :occasion14:

P.S. to give you an idea of how unique the font is, look for it in the cemetery the next time you visit one. :icon_thumright:

P.S.S. If you find it I would like to see a picture of it.:notworthy:
 

Last edited:

L.C. BAKER

Silver Member
Sep 9, 2012
3,805
4,643
Nebraska City, Nebraska
Primary Interest:
Other
Also, look at this symbol and then back up at the "two square" symbol as you called it. This is what the society used the symbol for on this trail. It was to reflect the compass rose and the Cresent Moon was used by them to indicate a new beginning from that point. My video will show you what they wanted to be done at the site in order to move on to the next place on the trail of caches they left. When you see how it unfolds it will be self-explanatory, that is the great thing about a video!

View attachment 1700612

On the map recovered they used this symbol for the same thing, except it has coded numbers and letters and symbols around it for direction.

View attachment 1700613
 

Last edited:

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top