G.A.R. Civil War Memorial - El Reno, OK - Obelisks on Waymarking.com

Just inside the north entrance to El Reno Cemetery stands this 14 ft. high obelisk memorial to the Civil War. The memorial stands on two rows of concrete blocks 18 inches high. On all four sides of the sloping memorial are insets with the dedication engraved in concrete.

The memorial was set in 1905. The inscriptions read:

G. A. R. Dep't. O.T.
In memory
of the unknown dead
soldiers, sailors and Marines
of the Civil War, from 1861
to 1865. Erected A. D. 1905
By Reno Post No. 138, W.R.C. N.625
of El Reno, Oklahoma

The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, Navy and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Springfield, Illinois, and grew to include hundreds of "posts" in local communities. It was dissolved in 1956 at the death of its last member. The G.A.R. became an advocacy group in American politics, supporting voting rights for black veterans, promoting patriotic education and pensions, and helping to make Memorial Day a national holiday [excerpts taken from Wikipedia].

The Woman’s Relief Corp (WRC), was an official auxiliary to the Grand Army of the Republic It did not require a blood connection to a Civil War veteran. Instead, the requirements were a patriotic spirit and belief in the values of the Union and the soldiers and sailors who had defended it. They became an active club for patriotic activities and for the benefit of aging veterans.

Date Created/Placed: 1905 Address: El Reno Cemetery 1300 E. Elm Street El Reno, OK 73036 Height: 14 ft. Illuminated: yes Website: Not listed

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Date Logged Log User Rating   09/17/2023 The Snowdog visited it