A SWORD with a mystery

[Rooster Cogburn]

Ok. I know I have a sword, but there's some mystery around it, where it was found, and what little information I've been able to gleen. If it takes a while to load, I apologize, I thought it better to have plenty of photos for you experts out there

I have lots of pictures that I will post and have many questions, that perhaps, someone on this great site can answer. A few of the things I'm wondering is does it have real gold? Does anyone have ability to look up the fellow listed on the sword and give me some history? Anyone ever heard of this group I think it's connected to? What might it be worth? AND has anyone ever seen a sword detailed quite like this one?


First a little history: Several decades ago, my departed uncle owned a store along Garrison Avenue in Fort Smith Arkansas, just a few blocks from the old Fort Smith and Hanging Judge Issac C. Parker's court house. Apparently not long after taking ownership of the place, he was cleaning out a back room of the store and found this:

My family assumed it was from around the Civil War or some such. Many years later, uncle gave all of what you are about to see to my father and a few years back, my dad gave it to me. Since then, it's mainly sat in my closet. From time to time I'd jump on the net and try to resarch it, but never could find that much out about it. I was hopiing the world wide resources of Treasure Net could be brought to bear I know this is the section for a good mystery so... here we go.


We noted it was very ornate on the scabbard and throughout:

The reason I asked about the possibility of gold, was because the brass rings are much more dull...

Note the detail work up higer on the scabbard...

There is acid etching on the blade...

I've never been able to find out anything about this person:
"Captain E.T. Eubanks
Commisary 2nd Regt.
U. R. ?. ?. Pittsburg, Kan."

There's beautiful etching on both sides, this is close to the hilt on the name side of the blade:

This is on the opposite side: "F.C.B." on a shield below a knight's head...

The F.C.B. led me to some information about a society called the Knights of Pythias (A group I've never heard of). FCB meaning Fraternity, Charity, Benevolance. I have even seen some of their cerimonial swords on ebay, but NOTHING like this one and I saw nothing online about ranks of Captain in their group.

More pictures...

On the very hilt it says: "The M.C. Lilley & Co., Columbus, OH"...

The handle is just as ornate as the rest, with what appears to be a blueish sharks skin grip, wrapped in a braided gold looking metal, with the letters U. R. and a flower. It all comes from the mouth of a lion, on the reverse of the lion, a knights helmet.

Also found with the sword & scabbard, was an outer leather case that is deteriorating and an inner soft sheath AND the dress belt, buckle, and attachments...

It would appear that Captain Eubanks, got promoted to Major at some point:

The buckle. I believe the U. R. means Uniformed Ranks? ...

The back of the buckle...

Here's a wide shot of the whole assembley...

So, there we are. perhaps someone here has an ancestory account and can look this fellow up, or maybe there's a sword expert that can tell me what I have and if there's any value to it all. I'm just very curious as to it's history and how it made it's way from Pittsburg, KS to Fort Smith, AR. I do know that Union troops came to Fort Smith by way of Kansas and NW Arkansas, but I'm not sure if there's really a connection there.


Well... thanks for looking

 

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[ivan salis]

yep- goes right with that cap pin --uniform rank -- knights of pythias cap pin item we did all that research on. pulled up a lot of histortical info on that thread .

 

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[SODABOTTLEBOB]

1890 Pittsburg, Kansas City Directory:

EUBANKS, E. T., Proprietor Lunch Counter, Tobacco, Cigars, Confectionary, Ice Cream and Oysters in season, 119 N Broadway, Pittsburg, Kansas, residence same.

More Here ~ 1887 Map Showing Broadway ~ Knights of Pythias


http://pittsburgksmemories.com/Pittsburg_History/pittsburgkshistory1905.html



~ Knights of Pythias ~

Black Diamond Lodge No. 65, K. of P. – Meet every Tuesday night at their hall in Kansas and Texas building, corner Fourth Street and Broadway. A. Jacobus, C. C.; L. C. Bowles, V. C.; A. T. North, K. R. of S.

U. R. K. of P. No. 38 – Meets every 2nd and 4th Monday of each month in their hall, corner Fourth Street and Broadway. Lee Van Winkle, S. R. K.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

I didn't want to mess up my last post, so I am P.S.ing this here.

Don't ya just love the part ...

"... and oysters in season."

Remember; we're talking about "Kansas."

Where would they get fresh oysters from in Kansas in 1890? That's a "What Is It?" unto itself!

 

[ivan salis]

from the west coast on refrigerated "ice" box cars oysters if kept on icecan stay alive / "fresh" for several days ) -- the same way" kansas city" beef was shipped from the slaughter houses there to the west coast -- beer makers first came up with the ideal of chilled freight cars to ship beer out west without it souring but once folks figgered out that items could be shipped chilled / frozen (supplied by ice houses along the route with "fresh ice" so every so often) --beer and oysters from the east and west coast shipped to the midwest --and beef and pork other chiilled food items from the midwest went back in "return"

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

ivan ~

Thanks. But why would they go to all the trouble? Meaning, who eats oysters, anyway? (Lol).

Here's a circa 1910 postcard of north Broadway in Pittsburg, Kansas. The location of Eubanks lunch counter could be along in this area somewhere. (But may not have still been open in 1910. And photo was taken from 3rd Street. Meaning, 119 N. Broadway might be behind the camera).

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

The following website has some good old photos of Pittsburg, Kansas. Including the one shown below which is of a Glick Mercantile truck. The interesting thing about Glick Mercantile is that it was located at 113-119 N. Broadway. Which is basically the same address that Eubank's lunch counter had. Except that Glick's was founded in 1907. Suggesting that Eubank's lunch counter was either in the same building or might have been gone by 1907.

Link: http://pittsburgksmemories.com/Pittsburg_Buildings/pittbldgglickmercantile.html

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Lastly for the time being ...

I sent the following message to the last website I posted a link to. I will let you know if/when I hear back from them.

SBB

Hi ~

I enjoyed your website a great deal. I am looking for anything and everything I can related to a E.T. Eubanks who apparently had a lunch counter at 119 N. Broadway in Pittsburg, Kansas around 1890. I would also be interested in anything related to the Pittsburg, Kansas "Knights of Pythias" organization who I believe E.T. Eubanks was a member of about that same time. Thank you in advance for your time and interest.

 

[ivan salis]

fresh seafood - oysters especially --were concidered "fancy fare" -- in the midwest in the old days -- rich folks food -- if you ate "oysters' you were "special / rich" -- oysters are still costly in the midwest today they are "flown in" by plane --and they are still thought of as special "high dollar fare"

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Update ...

Regarding the message I sent, (post #27 1-19-12) I received the following reply this morning ...

~ * ~

Bob,

Let me see what I can find and will get back with you soon.

Mark

 

[allen_idaho]

This is a ceremonial field officer's sword for the Knights of Pythias.

The sword was made some time between 1882-1925. That is the period of time in which the manufacturer put "The M.C. Lilley & Co." on their blades.

Starting in the 1880's, the Knights of Pythias began using specific types of swords to signify rank. Field officers below the rank of Colonel were the only ones to use a curved US Pattern 1870 style blade.

All KoP swords contain the same types of symbols and letters, such as:
The "U.R." which stands for Uniform Rank
The flower, which is a lily and a nod to the manufacturer.
The lion head pommel.
The very elaborate brass work.
The "F.C.B" which you already know stands for "Friendship Charity Brotherhood".
The knight with shield inscribed on the blade.

For a Field Officer's sword (ranked below Colonel), the handle should be leather wrapped with brass wire.

So what does this sword tell us? At one point, Mr. E.T. Eubanks was a Field Officer with the Knights of Pythias prior to 1925 and attained the rank of Captain within that organization. Given that the blade labels him as Commissary, we can assume that he was most likely a shop owner of some type. A commissary, in the military sense, is an official in charge of supply of food, stores or transport.

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

a_i ~

Good info and well explained.

What do you make of the "Major" on the leather case? Does that tie in with your mention of "Colonel?" I honestly don't know the difference between one officer's rank and another.

Thanks.

SBB

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

Thank goodness for Google. This is for dummies like me ~ and even for smart guys who sometimes forget. (Lol)

~ U.S. Army ~

(Highest to Lowest)


General of the Army
General
Lieutenant General
Major General
Brigadier General
Colonel
Lieutenant Colonel
Major ...... Eubanks Leather Sword Case
Captain ... Eubanks Sword
First Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Chief Warrant Officer 5
Chief Warrant Officer 4
Chief Warrant Officer 3
Chief Warrant Officer 2
Warrant Officer
Sergeant Major of the Army
Command Sergeant Major
Sergeant Major
First Sergeant
Master Sergeant
Sergeant First Class
Staff Sergeant
Sergeant
Corporal
Specialist
Private First Class
Private 2
Private ... And then there's me way down here!! SODA"BUCKPRIVATE"BOB

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

I received the following message this evening and am posting it here almost word for word just as I received it. It is pretty much self explanatory. I also received the picture from Mark Hill. This is in respose to the inquiry I sent him about a week ago.

SBB

~ * ~

Bob,

As I am in St. Louis now, I asked my mother in Pittsburg to go by the Genealogical Society and see if she could find anything about Edward T. Eubanks. She found he and his wife Laura's obituaries, which I have included below. Here is what I found in my historical items that I have.

Edward T. Eubanks was born in Feb. 1849 in Indiana (so he would have been probably too young to have fought in the Civil War and achieved the rank of Captain or Major) and died 26 Feb 1914 in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. He married Laura W. Crockett on 17 Feb 1886 in Girard, KS. She was born 30 July 1863 in Covington, KY and died 2 Jan 1945 in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. They are both buried in the Mt. Olive Cemetery in Pittsburg. My mother went to the cemetery to get a picture of their stone but she said it is very worn and the writing isn't legible. They had 4 children: Everett born Feb 1887, Homer b. Aug 1888 d. 7 Nov 1888, Myrtle b. 17 Mar 1889 d. 13 July 1889 and Roy b 8 May 1895 d. 12 Nov 1950. Edward was a member of the Knights of Pythias, Lodge No 65 in Pittsburg. As you know in 1890 he owned a lunch counter. In 1900 he is listed in Pittsburg as the owner of a restaurant and in 1905 in Pittsburg as a saloon keeper. He is then found in 1910 as a News Co. Agent in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. According to his wife's obituary they moved to Ft. Smith in 1910 and before that had been the owner of Star Bakery, which I found I have a picture of and have attached, that was located at 119 N. Broadway. The family lived above. There is a man standing in front of the business and it is very possible it is of Edward T. Eubanks. The building where the bakery stood is no longer there. The Knights of Pythias Lodge No 65 also called the Black Diamond Lodge K of P met in Kansas & Texas building, later known as the Globe Building, on the southwest corner of Fourth and Broadway. There was also a ladies Auxiliary of the Knights of Pythias in Pittsburg called the Court of Calanthes.

I hope this helps some in the mystery of the sword. I will keep your information and on my next trip home to Pittsburg this spring will see if I can track down anymore information on the Knights of Pythias Lodge 65 in Pittsburg.


The Pittsburg Daily Headlight, Fri., 27 Feb. 1914, page 4:
The body of Edward T. Eubanks, a former resident of Pittsburg, arrived in this city last night from Fort Smith, Ark., where he died yesterday and was taken to the Bowman Undertaking rooms to await the funeral, which will be held Saturday at 2:30 o'clock at the Christian church, Sam I. Smith officiating. Funeral arrangements are in charge of the Pittsburg lodge Knights of Pythias and the Uniform Rank. Burial will be in Mt. Olive cemetery.


The Pittsburg Headlight, Wed., Jan. 3, 1945, pg. 6:
MRS. LAURA EUBANKS DIES
Arkansas Woman, 81, Former Resident of Pittsburg
Mrs. Laura W. Eubanks, 81, former Pittsburg resident, died at 12 o'clock noon Monday at her home in Fort Smith, Ark. Mrs. Eubanks had been a resident of Pittsburg for 30 years before moving from here in 1910. She and her husband operated the Star bakery when they lived in Pittsburg.Survivors are two sons, Everett Eubanks of Jacksonville, Fla., and Ray Eubanks of Fort Smith and a sister, Mrs. Florence Lloyd of Girard. Services will be held at 11 o'clock Wednesday morning at Fort Smith. The body will be brought to Pittsburg, and second services will be held at 2 o'clock Thursday afternoon at the E.K. Smith chapel. Rev. E. Paul Fisher will officiate. Interment will be in Mt. Olive cemetery.

Best of luck,

Mark Hill


Possibly E.T. Eubanks in front of the Star Bakery 119 N Broadway - Pittsburg, Kansas - c. 1910

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

W O W! Incredible detective work!

I can't thank you enough for the information!!

One thing is certain. Mysteries don't stay mysteries for long around TresureNet!

 

[ivan salis]

we have some very talented people around here with lots of "skills" .

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

~ Another Piece of the Puzzle ~

The following is based on a combination of things, including ....

1. Mark Hill's information above where he wrote ...

" The Knights of Pythias Lodge No 65 also called the Black Diamond Lodge K of P met in the Kansas & Texas building, later known as the Globe Building, on the southwest corner of Fourth and Broadway."

2. The 1890 City Directory where it list "The Globe Restaurant."

3. The 1887 Street Map of Pittsburg, Kansas.

4. The 1910 Postcard I posted earlier.

My intent here is to point out the "Globe Building/Restaurant" where the Knights of Pythias used to meet, and where Mr. E.T. Eubanks and his sword used to hang out.

[ The numbers on the map are "Lot Numbers" and not street addresses ]

{ Later on I am going to try and pinpoint "The Star Bakery." }

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

When i saw the flower on the scabbard tip in pic 2 i thought "Sodabottlebob's gonna be all over this!" as he did a mass of research on the last KoP item that cropped up. Thought he'd have been able to tell you who made it, what he had for dinner the night it was completed, and who the guys daughter was secretly dating by now! lol

Dano ~

I don't know who the daughter dated, but I do know they had "Oysters" for dinner! (Lol)

SBB

 

[mnixon]

that sword is just super .... great condition .... thanks for posting ..... very interesting

how did we survive without the "net" so few years ago ??.... simply amazing at the vast amount of info .... great work everyone

 

[Rooster Cogburn]

I just shared all of this great info with my wife and we're both amazed at the great information ya'll have, um, "unearthed" here.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!


I wonder what the value would be on this set?
I've seen other KofP swords on ebay, but they're usually in rough shape. I haven't seen any quite like this, with all of the other items.

I've been out of work for a few months. I've decided I need some new marketable skills and I'm looking at doing a couple of semesters at our local college for an Industrial Electronics and Electrical Maintenance Technical Certficate, but it's going to be hard for the family to get by during that time.

The books alone for the program are going to be over $1000.00 for both semesters, not to mention supplies & tuition. YIKES.
At least afterward, I'll be able to design some really good metal detecting MODS. ;-)

I'm hesitant to part with these items, but if worth it, I could sure put it to use in either books, supplies, or via meat on the table. LOL


Thanks again! Especially Sodabottle Bob and Co.!

 

[SODABOTTLEBOB]

I sent this link to Mark Hill and invited him to check it out. So everyone needs to be on their best behavior because its not every day we have a true Historian visiting with us. I even shaved and combed my hair for the occasion. (Lol).

Thanks, Mark. You're the man!

SBB