W.C. Billings, Modern Woodmen

Notation on back of postcard (in my grandmother’s hand)
“My father W.C. Billings & son George A. Billings taken in 1897 at Custer, South Dakota. Modern Woodmen”

Modern Woodmen is a fraternal organization founded in 1883 by Joseph Cullen Root in Lyons, Iowa. It is still in existence today. The society is organized around a lodge system called “Camps” that offer fellowship and community service for members.

One of the most visible elements of the organization was its drill teams, which came to be known as Foresters. The first drill team was organized in Hutchinson, Kansas, in 1893; and became nationally known for entertaining crowds at parades and other events from 1890 to the late 1930s. The Foresters were even honored by Herbert Hoover at the White House.

I surmise based on this photo that my great grandfather and uncle were photographed in costume for the Custer South Dakota club.



Photo and caption below courtesy of the National Heritage Museum.

“….set your minds back nearly a hundred years ago, when the Modern Woodmen's drill team, the Foresters, would deftly spin, toss, and wield axes in unison as they marched in parades, and when joining a fraternal benefit society meant learning secret ritual work and promising to uphold certain moral values.”

Good times!

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