List Readers, the house construction is coming along. I came in to turn on the computer and to rest a few minutes and thought I'd work on Oak Hill Cemetery some. Phyllis Long and I have been redoing the pages and are updating them with the new items posted in the temporary folders. I don't have a list for you yet, but will soon. While reading about the Civil War soldiers buried there, I noticed how many had government issued stones. I wonder if any had caskets that government issue. I don't know if they had a service like that for men who died on the battle field. I would imagine probably not, but have no research to back that up as a firm statement. I found this information below on the web about Fisk Iron Caskets - and so I got to thinking about all the Civil War graves that we have in Oak Hill and around the county. I wonder if we had any soldiers there are somewhere else in the county buried in one of the Fisk Iron Mummy case type of casket. It is fascinating thought and so I wonder if it might be possible that some family story handed down would tell us more. Maybe some old document would hold facts about a burial using a Fisk Casket. I am aware that in Barry County that a lot of people were poor and that some hardly had money to buy a wooden casket, but hey, you never know and certainly can't second guess a thing like this. In my family, the bushwhackers knocked off a goodly number of my grandpas so I image some of them were buried in the night, maybe wrapped in a quilt or who knows what. There were families in the county who had money and influence and weren't poor farmers like my people so I thought I'd throw the subject out to you and see what you think. Donna Cooper ------------------------------- The first patent for a cast iron coffin was awarded to A.D. Fisk in 1848 The first two models that Fisk manufactured were in the shape of a sarcophagus, ornamented with faux drapery, and often displayed floral designs. Other dealers, such as W.M. Raymond and Company of New York and Chicago, and Crane, Breed and Company of Cincinnati, obtained licenses to produce the Fisk Metallic Burial Case. They began doing so in the early 1850s and subsequently introduced many modifications. Fortunately, copies of Fisk and Crane's 1858 catalog are held by the Cincinnati Historical Society, and Crane’s 1867 catalog is held by the Columbus Historical Society. Those catalogs and price lists suggest that Fisk's and Crane’s Patent Metallic Burial Cases preserved the body, protected it against water, against vermin, safeguarded against contagion, and facilitated relocation of the remains. The Fisk Model 3 was introduced in 1854 and an improved form of it was patented in March of 1858. Because the sarcophagus-shape and gaudy ornamentation of the Models 1 and 2 were repugnant to many, this new cast iron burial case was roughly torpedo-shaped (expanding to permit an increase in width from the head to the area at which the arms folded across the body and narrowing again to the feet), and featured straight, smooth sides. It was entirely devoid of the appearance of folded drapery and lacked ornamentation. A version that became popular was covered with an imitation rosewood finish that was applied to the surface like a decal or wallpaper. The Model 3 remained in production well into the post-Civil War period. It was available in 17 sizes, from 29.5 inches long by 9.5 inches at the widest point, to 80 inches long by 21 inches wide. Additionally, the coffins were rather pricey and could only be afforded by the wealthy. In a day and age when a pine box cost $2-$3, a Fisk coffin (depending on the style) cost anywhere from $50-$170.

I once read article about the burial practices of the folks living on the frontier. It said most were buried in just a blanket etc. Their clothes being saved to be used by the living. It mentioned a story about an old lady that was buried in a hollow log as a casket. Stan On Sat, Sep 10, 2011 at 3:47 PM, Donna Cooper <thedonnacooper@gmail.com> wrote: > > List Readers, the house construction is coming along. I came in to > turn on the computer and to rest a few minutes and thought I'd work on > Oak Hill Cemetery some. Phyllis Long and I have been redoing the pages > and are updating them with the new items posted in the temporary > folders. I don't have a list for you yet, but will soon. > > While reading about the Civil War soldiers buried there, I noticed how > many had government issued stones. I wonder if any had caskets that > government issue. I don't know if they had a service like that for men > who died on the battle field. I would imagine probably not, but have > no research to back that up as a firm statement. > > I found this information below on the web about Fisk Iron Caskets - > and so I got to thinking about all the Civil War graves that we have > in Oak Hill and around the county. I wonder if we had any soldiers > there are somewhere else in the county buried in one of the Fisk Iron > Mummy case type of casket. > > It is fascinating thought and so I wonder if it might be possible that > some family story handed down would tell us more. Maybe some old > document would hold facts about a burial using a Fisk Casket. I am > aware that in Barry County that a lot of people were poor and that > some hardly had money to buy a wooden casket, but hey, you never know > and certainly can't second guess a thing like this. > > In my family, the bushwhackers knocked off a goodly number of my > grandpas so I image some of them were buried in the night, maybe > wrapped in a quilt or who knows what. There were families in the > county who had money and influence and weren't poor farmers like my > people so I thought I'd throw the subject out to you and see what you > think. > >  Donna Cooper > > ------------------------------- > > > The first patent for a cast iron coffin was awarded to A.D. Fisk in > 1848 The first two models that Fisk manufactured were in the shape of > a sarcophagus, ornamented with faux drapery, and often displayed > floral designs. Other dealers, such as W.M. Raymond and Company of New > York and Chicago, and Crane, Breed and Company of Cincinnati, obtained > licenses to produce the Fisk Metallic Burial Case. They began doing so > in the early 1850s and subsequently introduced many modifications. > > Fortunately, copies of Fisk and Crane's 1858 catalog are held by the > Cincinnati Historical Society, and Crane’s 1867 catalog is held by the > Columbus Historical Society. Those catalogs and price lists suggest > that Fisk's and Crane’s Patent Metallic Burial Cases preserved the > body, protected it against water, against vermin, safeguarded against > contagion, and facilitated relocation of the remains. > > The Fisk Model 3 was introduced in 1854 and an improved form of it was > patented in March of 1858. Because the sarcophagus-shape and gaudy > ornamentation of the Models 1 and 2 were repugnant to many, this new > cast iron burial case was roughly torpedo-shaped (expanding to permit > an increase in width from the head to the area at which the arms > folded across the body and narrowing again to the feet), and featured > straight, smooth sides. It was entirely devoid of the appearance of > folded drapery and lacked ornamentation. A version that became popular > was covered with an imitation rosewood finish that was applied to the > surface like a decal or wallpaper. The Model 3 remained in production > well into the post-Civil War period. It was available in 17 sizes, > from 29.5 inches long by 9.5 inches at the widest point, to 80 inches > long by 21 inches wide. > > Additionally, the coffins were rather pricey and could only be > afforded by the wealthy. In a day and age when a pine box cost $2-$3, > a Fisk coffin (depending on the style) cost anywhere from $50-$170. > > The list-admin is Donna Cooper, address - (thedonnacooper@gmail.com) > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MOBARRY-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message