Source. "Fifty Years of Progress", Issued as a
supplement to
The Odebolt Chronicle, August 25, 1938
Many Pioneer residents of this community (Odebolt), including
a number of the charter members of Col. Goodrich post No. 117, G. A.
R. are included in this picture of G. A. R. members.
| Back row: William Hopkins, John Schmitz, J. Scott, F. Frevert,
Sebastian Buehler, Johnathon Klick. Fifth row: James Level, H. W. Stratton, A Hovenden, George Johnson, H. B. Smith, Sam B. Smith, Henry Ballard Fourth row: J. W. Conklin, Samuel Taggart, James C. Wood, James Hough, W. W. Mitts. Third row: A. H. Jones, Asa Smith, Samuel Cook, James Ady, M. Mengis, A. A. Bangs. Second row: S. Bowker, John Briggle, Oscar Draper, William Graham, B. H. Mummey, James P. Cree, Nels Wright, W. H. Hess Front row, left to right: J.W. Burnside, Henry Waggoner, S. E. Peck, L. Olney, L. M. Gray, M. D. Fox. |
Col. Goodrich post, G.A.R., was organized in Odebolt in the
early 80's.
Captain W.W. Stanfield issued a call to all Civil war
veterans who were interested in forming a local organization to meet at his
office on Friday, Dec. 8, 1882. Several of the former soldiers gathered
together on that evening and decided that a sufficient number were interested.
At this meeting J. W. Burnside acted as temporary
chairman, W.W. Stanfield as secretary, and F. F. Webster as treasurer.
These officers were only temporary and merely held for that meeting.
On motion D.H. Waterman, F. F. Webster, J.W. Burnside,
W. W. Stanfield and W. Hay were appointed a committee to plan for a local
organization and its institution. W.W. Stanfield acted as corresponding
secretary.
On December 22, the first post of the Grand Army of the
Republic ever to be organized in Sac county was instituted under Col. C. G.
Wright of Denison. It was named Col. Goodrich post No. 117, and twenty-two
names were listed on the muster roll. The following men were charter
members: W.W. Stanfield, H.W. Stratton, D.H. Waterman, D. Lesher, H. Keck, J.W.
Burnside, Asa B.Smith, D.W. Flack, George Conant, M.D. Fox, Oscar Draper, N.
Kenady, H. Hovender, J.M. Stratton, F.F. Webster, S. Bowker, W.H. Hess, W.E.
Mill, J. Austin, William Graham, H.H. Bangs and H.W. Vandermark.
At the first meeting the following named comrades were
elected and installed as the following officers: D.W. Flack, commander; J.W.
Burnside, vice commander; W.W. Stan field, junior vice commander; F.F. Webster,
quartermaster; A.A. Bangs, surgeon; S. Bowker, chaplain; J. Austin, officer of
the day; W.E. Mill, officer of the guard; Wm. Graham, adjutant; D. Lesher,
sergeant major; Delos Waleman, assistant quartermaster.
At one time there were 108 members listed on the roll
of the Odebolt post. At the present not a single one remains. M.D.
Fox was the last to answer the final call, Oct. 12, 1937, at his home on Park
avenue.
The Col. Goodrich Relief Corps, No. 110, was organized May 13,
1887 in the S. of V. hall (where the Red and White store is now [1938] located)
by Mary Sears McHenry of Denison.
Institution of the post and the installing of the
officers was under the direction of H.D. Peck of Wall Lake.
Rachael Graham was elected president; Esther Burnside,
senior vice president; Jennie Smith, junior vice president; Kate Shea,
conductor; Mary Smith, assistant conductor; Helen Austin, guardian; Ella Myrick,
assistant guardian; Mrs. H.J. Matthews, secretary; Sarah Bowker, chaplain and
Judith Matthew, treasurer. Including the above officers, 37 names were
listed on the charter.
Regular Meeting
The first regular meeting was held May
20, 1887, for the purpose of making plans for Decoration day services.
This was the first activity in which the organization took part.
Four beautiful flags were presented to the group in
1901 by Commander Graham of the local post of Civil war veterans. The
first color bearers, Emma Younie, Carrie Lesher, Rachel Graham and Caroline
Frevert were appointed at that time.
Since the beginning, the post has carried on the work
as required by the order. Aside from the valuable help they have given to
the needy at numerous times, flags have been presented to the public schools and
also to St. Martin's school, a tree was set out in the park by the organization,
and a bronze tablet on which the "Gettysburg Address" appears was
presented to the local library.
(Source: "As Time Goes By; Odebolt Centennial 1877-1977 p. 198)
Click the below names in blue for more information.
| Ballard, Henry Briggle, John G. Bowker, Simeon Buehler, Sebastian Chandler, Abner L. Dingman, Charles Draper, Oscar S. Fox, Marshall D. |
Gray, Lewis M Gould, R. N. Hopkins, Wm Hess, Wm. Lesher, Daniel O. Long, George Lord, Frank E. Meyer, Henry |
Meyer, Jacob Mill, W. E. Mummey, Ben Marks, Azem Mengis, Moritz Mitts, Wm. Neville, Wm. Olney, Levi |
Perry, George Peck, Samuel Raftery, Patrick Roop, David Smith, Samuel B. Smith, Hiram B. Smith, Asa Schmitz, John |
Stratton, Harrison W. Stratton, James M. Staton, ? Umbarger, Nathanial Waggoner, Henry Widel, Adam Wood, James C. Wright, Nelson |
All were Union Soldiers except Nathanial Umbarger, who was with the Confederate forces.
(Run searches from the front page of this site to, perhaps, find more information on your Civil War ancestor.)
Below is a photo of Sebastian Buehler in his civil war uniform, courtesy of Don Hoefling, via Bill Kuehl.
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