J.H. Gibson - Old Saltillo Cemetery - Saltillo, TX, USA - Doves of peace on Waymarking.com

The Woodmen of the World are known today as WoodmenLife, a fraternal society that provides insurance to its members. Visitors to older cemeteries can frequently spot the tree trunk monuments that they placed at the graves of their members, although not every tree trunk monument out there was placed by the Woodmen of the World: It was common in the late 19th century to use a log to note that a person had died young, and many infants have such grave markers. Eventually, those tree trunk monuments became too expensive to produce, and headstones would be marked with a Woodmen of the World emblem of some kind. Earlier ones featured a dove of peace with an olive branch in its beak, flying over a fallen log where the tools of the woodmen's trade -- hatchet, mallet, and wedge -- can be seen. Later ones, like this one, would show a simple tree stump instead, and the dove and the tools would be displayed somewhere on the monument.

The Dove of Peace is perched atop the inscription scroll which hangs from a sawed-off branch, with fern fronds below. The inscription is:

J.H. Son of G.W. & Fannie
Gibson

Born Feb. 27, 1876
Died Oct. 8, 1904.

The Woodmen of the World organized themselves into local camps, and we have a reference to "White Oak Camp No. 929". There is also an epitaph on the curl of the scroll, but it has been worn by time and the elements.

Kind of dove: Dove with olive branch Used material for the dove: Other (explanation in the long description) Address: 664 Hopkins County Rd 3357 Saltillo, TX USA 75478

Visit Instructions:

- The Waymarks coordinates must have been visited personally.

- A self-made picture of the Peace Dove has to be added to your log.

- Tell us something about your visit to the Peace Dove.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.