Replica Of President Lincoln's Coffin Brings History To Area
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Staff Report-
A replica of the coffin in which President Abraham Lincoln is buried will be on display at The 1024 Taste & Trade Expo Friday and Saturday at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center, Winona Lake. According to Ron Redpath, Redpath-Fruth Funeral Home, Warsaw, the display is being sponsored by the funeral home in conjunction with Batesville Casket Company of Indiana, maker of the replica. Redpath-Fruth deals exclusively with them. Redpath said he saw the coffin while touring the company’s headquarters in Batesville. Bates Casket Company also has a service center at Ind. 14 and U.S. 30. The casket on display at the expo is one of five replicas made 10 years ago by the casket company. The coffin was built on the only known surviving 1865 photograph of he one in which Lincoln is shown lying in state. Four of the five coffin replicas travel the nation for display at funeral home, according to a press release. The fifth remains as part of the permanent collection at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, Ill. Custom For Lincoln President Lincoln’s coffin wa the most elaborate of that time. His coffin was constructed of solid walnut. lined with lead and completely covered in expensive black cloth. It was 6 feet, 6 inches long and was decorated with sterling silver handles and steerling silver studs extending the entire length of its sides. Though the coffin appears austere compared to modern caskets, the orignal was custom made for the president and featured a removable two-part top and a lead lining. The replica does not contain lead. The distinction between a coffin and a casket i that a coffin has six sides (diamond shaped) and a casket has four sides. Revenge, Greed And Curiosity The coffin played prominently in a plot by thieves to teal the president’s body, according to the release. In 1876, when a counterfeiting ring’s top engraver was imprisoned, his gang decided to break into the tomb and steal the body.They planned to hold Lincoln for a ransom of $200,000 in gold and the freedom of the engraver. As the coffin wa being removed from the tomb, the plot was foiled when lawmen made their move. In 1900, President Lincoln’s son, Robert, was afraid that more attempts to steal the president’s body would be made. he decided that the new burial chamber wa inadequate and plans were made to permanently protect the president from any future attempts to enter the grave. it was during this time of construction that the coffin of President Lincoln was opened. A select few had the opportunity to view the body of the president one last time. The reasoning for this was to ensure that previous attempts to steal the body of the president were not successful. It was determined that the body in the coffin was indeed that of the president. His appearance had not changed much since that of his original burial in 1865. On Sept. 26, 1901, President Lincoln was then permanently buried. The coffin was placed in a cage 10 feet deep and encased in 4,000 pounds of concrete. At last, he was at rest. A Nation Mourns It is estimated that one million people viewed President Lincoln’s body from the time of his death until his burial in Springfield, according to the release. His coffin was the most elaborate of that time. President Lincoln also had the distinction of having the largest funeral throughout the world, until President John F. Kennedy’s death in 1963. It could be said that Lincoln’s death triggered the beginning of modern day funeral service. He wa the first public figure to be embalmed and put on view for almost three weeks. The embalming technique used on the president wa primarily used on soldiers who died during the Civil War and needed to be transported home for burial. Being able to view the body for extended periods of time without being iced was the precursor for modern ay funeral service. People at that time thought embalming wa a barbaric violation of the body, but Lincoln’s funeral had changed that perception. President Lincoln’s public viewing introduced the population to the benefits of embalming. Mourners were able to see the late president for 20 days and embalming made it possible. Redpath said that the display is especially interesting since the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s assassination is approaching. The coffin will be on display from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the center at Grace College, 610 Wooster Road, Winona Lake.
