(9+10) Carriage to Gas Buggy and Late 19th century Funerals

Evolution of funeral service transportation and doom and gloom to beauty

What is a hearse?

Standard piece of equipment used in the procession of a funeral

Where did the worse hearse come from?

French: herse
Latin: hirpex (rake or harrow)

What is a bier?

Hand stretcher on which an uncoffined body was carried.

What were bearers?

Carriers of the casket; usually the oldest or most prominent men

What were underbearers?

Second set of bearers, just in case

How did funeral transportation evolve from biers to horse carriages?

-Hand carrying biers became tiring
-Rough terrain was often a difficulty
-Carriages were quite ornamental

What was Hudson Samson known for?

Designing elaborate hearses with cloth and drapery, an “immense pall”. Could have 4, 6 or 8 posts

What was ironic about the cane and breed hearse interval?

Hearses were bought in intervals of 15 years, which is the same as it is now

What was the funeral trolley car procession method?

It was a specialy designed 8 foot long train created in Atchison, Kansas. It ran on a city’s trolley line to transport casket and mourners to cemeteries on the outskirts of a city. Had a regular schedule in large cities.

What was the gas buggy method of funeral procession?

Box like with passengers with space in front above lotor for the casket. Fred Hulbery was the first to patent this in 1909. It was 6000$ and often used for ambulatory services.

Who created the first gas powered hearse?

Crane and breed

What were some feelings the public had concerning gas buggies?

-High cost with $4-6k for a vehicle that only lasted around 3 years
-The average speed was not much faster than a carriage
-The cost of operation was quite high
-The older generations believed it was undignified and was just a way to speed to the grave

What were some attributes of the first funeral automobiles?

-At first were not very ornate, painted black
-Much easier to control than horse drawn buggies
-Almost always black, unless it was a child, then it was white

Whatwas the typical pattern for 19th century funerals?

-Deaths tended to occur at home, though there were different customs depending on how rural or urban they were
-Attitude changes from gloom to beauty

What were the first responses to death?

-Anxiety upon the occurrence of death (often watched)
-Hush fell over home, blinds drawn
-Stiff formality with heavy gloom in families and communities
-Still pretty common to die
-Every community member paid respects to family

How was the body prepared in the city?

Undertaker would relieve the family burdens of taking care of the body

How was the body taken care of in rural areas?

Bodies stayed in the home, displayed in parlor often times until the casket was obtained. Family took care of washing and dressing the deceased.

When did funeral homes have usefulness?

For people who had no homes or no relatives and friends to have a home service. Tended to have more function in urban environments

Door badges were used in both…

urban and rural deaths

How was embalming viewed in rural areas?

mutilation

How were bodies embalmed?

-At homes; often used cooling boards to do so. They would just bring their equipment to people’s homes and get to work.
-Undressing, wwashing, plugging of orifices
-Swabbed with embalming fluid, placed on a table
-Chin support, eyes and lips sewn shut
-No PPE
-Light tint applied for chemicals

When did embalmers need a license to embalm?

1880

How were funeral arrangements made?

-Undertaker would ask what notifications needed to be sent and often lined them in black to signify that a death had occurred.
-Would arrange the casket, delivery methods of casket, ceremony, pallbearers, carriages and procession, floral pieces and door badge

How did home funerals proceed?

-Seldom, often less than an hour
-Had opening prayer, hymns, short passages, eulogies, fraternal organization, participation
-Mix of religious and personal content
-Pallbearers would take body to hearse
-Minister had dominant role
-Assistant stayed behind to clean up as if the ceremony never took place

How did city funerals proceed?

-Undertaker led the way as really the full consultant
-Ostentatious
-Mostly in parlors due to architectural design of the city buildings
-Less sentiment
-Cortege/procession to cemetery becomes more complicated

Once at the cemetery, What would take place?

-”earth to earth”, clergy sprinkles a small amount of dirt on casket
-Caskets lowered into grave (pallbearers)
-Grave filling

What was an urban grave filling like?

cemeterians would fill grave after everyone left

What was a rural grave filling like?

Family members often stayed and filled the grave

What were the mourning symbols?

-Black veils (crepe) often placed in home
-Widows wore black until second year after death
-Widower wore all black then dark grey
-Stationary of death (often with a black border)
-Moved towards more aesthetically pleasing caskets toward the end of this period
-Floral backdrops instead of black crepe with elaborate floral pieces
-Artifical flowers often used due to a lack of fresh flower supply
-Omit the flowers in lieu of flowers