Mystery Skeletons Found in Barn (in Oklahoma)

1554 Views 9 Replies 6 Participants Last post by scareme, Feb 12, 2015

kakugori

Discussion Starter · Feb 6, 2015

First thought: these people obviously aren't into Halloween.

Second thought: ok, I'm a little jealous.

Reading the article: Kind of proud mystery person who took the second skeleton.

TLDR: two skeletons found in caskets in an old barn in Poteau, OK that is a former Oddfellows Lodge.

http://www.ktul.com/story/28029285/mystery-skeleton-found-in-barn

(Also: hi, HF! I'm back from my annual post-Halloween depression break.)

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MRCHEDDAR

· #2 · Feb 8, 2015

I to was drawn to this story enough to make contact with the Deputy in the news cast, the Skelton found is of the same construction method as the present day Bucky. Metal rod in spline, same wire detail in jaw & fingers. Their interest is in possibly identify and or dating this find & having a properly interment. The bones were of a human and deserve respect, better than being left in a deteriorated barn. That being the goal does anyone on this forum know the Bucky history, when did the resin models start replacing the real thing? Things know about this style Skeleton.
Its exactly the same construction as current Resin Bucky's
It has no identifying marks or stamps
When would be the earliest date of this type model
Most likely made by "Anatomical Chart Company"
This skeleton has signs of a mortal wound
If anyone can shed light on this history lesson this forum can, heck some of us may have the real thing ourselves, I know we all take the Lets keep it & decorate with it, preserve it a museum, it was after all a Model of the Human bone structure made as a Medical learning tool, that just so happens to be a made with a real Human.
Can wait for your serious reply's Thanks MrCheddar

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Gym Whourlfeld

· #3 · Feb 8, 2015

I met a man at an auction, we kept accidentally meeting at auctions, he told me he once got the "Bid" on everything in the second floor of an old building in a small town in Iowa , but all he really wanted were the chairs, NOT the 50 human skeletons in up-right coffins with little glass windows so you could see the former club members. He loaded those chairs, then drove away.

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kakugori

Discussion Starter · #4 · Feb 8, 2015

I imagine this is more common than what we really get to hear about. The bit about it being from an Oddfellows lodge was an interesting twist, but if having a skeleton hanging around was common for their order I'm not surprised they'd get them from a big medical supplier. Actually, our high school had one in a corner cabinet (not sure if resin or real, or if it's even still there). Anyway, I guess my point is that real skeletons are out there in all sorts of places and they do have to go somewhere when the owners no longer have use. I guess only a few states even have laws regarding the sale of human remains, though there is a federal law in place to protect Native American burial sites. Article from HuffPo. I'm highly doubtful there will be any update to the story, as that's just how these things seem to go (especially in this part of the world).

I've been in quite a few old and/or abandoned buildings, never ran across a human skeleton - though animal remains are not uncommon.

At some point, I imagine the at-the-time new resin models would have been more expensive than the real deal. There was certainly a market, for quite a long time, for such things and I imagine there still is. (I'm not seriously going to go see if I can buy a real skeleton on ebay now or anything.) It's also theoretically possible that the lodge purchased them from someone else, rather than new, like maybe if a museum or university changed policy or suddenly found it morbid to have the real thing - we have a taxidermy owl that we got this way, after a museum received one (donation? not sure) and couldn't keep it.

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Gym Whourlfeld

· #5 · Feb 8, 2015

I would suppose having numerous actual human skeletons around could cause undo work for the local police.
I was told (true or not!) that it is against the law to own a human skeleton unless you are in the Medical field in some way ,or a Medical student.
Not that many years ago real skeletons were for sale,they originated from India. An elderly person's beat-up old skeleton were the cheapest, the younger ones with all of their teeth intact were the pricey ones.
20 yrs.ago those bone prices went from $600 to $1,200 and up.
I would prefer one from a country where they don't speak English, so if it began talking to me as I was trying to sleep, I wouldn't feel obligated to get up and turn up the heat for them.. or give them my blanket.

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MRCHEDDAR

· #6 · Feb 10, 2015

Does any one know the History of the Current Model of Bucky Skeleton, When did the Company start using Resin Bones?

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RCIAG

· #7 · Feb 10, 2015

The people we bought our house from left us 2 spines, one real one resin. He was a chiropractor & had them in his practice. I still use them at Halloween but the resin one is slowly falling apart. I've never thought to find a relative of the spine.

I'd imagine a lot of those skeletons & pieces that were & are used for various displays & anatomy classes were & are from bodies that have been donated to science. Some end up cremated & buried in Potters Fields, some end up given back to the family to bury, some end up the skelly in science class, some end up a skelly used at the Oddfellows Lodge, so it might be hard to find out the origin of some of those pieces.

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LairMistress

· #8 · Feb 11, 2015

Hmph! The article says that the Oddfellows were a secret society in the 1900's. They're still around! My uncle was an Oddfellow (no comments from the Peanut Gallery! haha). He died in the early 2000's, and is buried in their special plot in his local cemetery.

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/261068109624539782/

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kakugori

Discussion Starter · #9 · Feb 12, 2015

Yup! Still a few lodges around, but I think they're dwindling now as fewer of the younger generations are interested in civic or secret clubs like the Oddfellows, Masons, or even Kiwanis or Rotary, etc. (Why wasn't there a secret Halloween society? Would have probably been a very popular organization in my own little town here.)

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scareme

· #10 · Feb 12, 2015

I saw this on the news when it first happened. My first thought: I swear they go looking for the most hick people around to represent Oklahoma.

Second thought: Damn, why can't I ever find the good stuff.

I worked in the teaching hospital here in OK, and Gym , you're correct, all of our skeletons came from India. I was told it was because they had the most lax laws when it comes to selling human remains.

And eBay has a rule that you can not buy or sell and human parts.

I do wonder what has happened with this story. Maybe I could call the station and find out.

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