The Daily Oklahoman - Monday, 22 June 1992

Cowboy's Grave Gets Face-Lift By Mark A. Hutchison Lawton Bureau

OLUSTEE - LaWayne Drury didn't know Joel Moseley, .but he respects him 'just the same.

And when Drury, the Jackson County com.missioner, heard the 1OO-year-old grave of the former Texas cowboy was eroding just northwest of here, he didn't hesitate to send a crew into action.

Drury a few months ago placed a 15 foot long, concrete reinforced tinhorn along a drainage ditch where :Moseley is buried .

"The grave is along the county right of way on the back slope of the ditch. Over the years a lot of water was going through there and deteriorating it," the commissioner said. "We've got it fixed up now."

A lifetime area resident, Drury knew the grave was there, but wasn't aware of the problem until he started receiving phone calls from concerned residents.

I felt like this was a part of the heritage of our county and sacred to people. It was the humane thing to do," Drury said.

Moseley is somewhat of a mystery in these parts. Stories abound of his demise.

Ed Cleveland owns the half-section of land where Moseley is buried. He believes the man was on a cattle drive when he died.

"There's a lot of wild stories. One that he was shot in a gunfight, another that his horse was snakebit and threw him. Nobody knows," Cleveland said.

Moseley was buried along the trail, Cleveland said, because the only cemetery in 1890 was in Frazer - present day Altus - 10 miles northeast.

"He died west of the (Salt Fork of the Red River) river, which was at flood stage. There were no bridges across it." Cleveland said. "No one around there wanted him buried on their farm because they feared it would start a graveyard, so he was buried along the right of way."

humane thing to do." Drury said.

Moseley is somewhat of a mystery in these parts. Stories abound of his demise.

Ed Cleveland owns the half-section of land where Moseley is buried. He believes the man was on a cattle drive when he died.

"There's a lot of wild stories. One that he was shot in a gunfight. another that his horse was snake bit and threw him. Nobody knows," Cleveland said.

Moseley was buried rator of the Museum of the Western Prairie in Altus, said she's been searching years for additional information about Moseley . She also received phone calls about the grave's erosion.

"This is something that was very important to people. We'd be delighted to hear some first-hand information about Mr. Moseley," Chesser said.

The grave initially was marked with rocks. Cleveland recalls Moseley's daughter, a Texas school-

teacher, in the 19S0s erected a granite headstone which reads:

"Joel Moseley, 1846-1890."

Cleveland said the woman for several years came to visit his mother and tend to the grave. He believes she has since died.

But the mysterious Texas drover hasn't been forgotten.

"I've never seen any- I body, but there are flowers there from time to time," Cleveland said. "It's the strangest thing."

Joel N. Moseley