Lincoln's Casket Plays Role in Historic Celebration

Batesville Casket Company's authentic replica of Abraham Lincoln's coffin will be on display at the Lincoln Shrine in Redlands from April 4 through April 20 as part of the 150th anniversary of his assassination. John Wilkes Booth fatally shot President Lincoln at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. on April 14, 1865. Following formal funeral services at the nation's capital, Lincoln was placed on a special funeral train which left D.C. on April 21 for a journey back to the President's home in Springfield, Ill. The train stopped at all major cities for funeral observances witnessed by an estimated 7 million people before he was laid to rest on May 4, 1865, at Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield, ending 20 days of national mourning. As one observer noted, "He was canonized as he lay on his bier by the irresistible decree of countless millions." Abraham Lincoln's elaborate coffin is constructed of solid walnut, lined with lead and completely covered in fine, expensive black cloth. It is six feet, six inches long-probably tight fit for the six foot, four inch President. The coffin is decorated with silver tacks extending the entire length of its sides. There are four handles set in silver medallions on each side of the coffin. The center of its lid showcases a shield outlined in silver tacks, with a silver plate bearing the inscription: ABRAHAM LINCOLN 16TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES BORN FEBRUARY 12, 1809 DIED APRIL 15, 1865 The replica was crafted to the exact specifications of the original by Batesville Casket Company Custom Products, as part of an antique casket display i Batesville's Customer Business Center. The coffin on display is sponsored by Emmerson Bartlett Memorial Chapel, 703 Brookside Avenue, Redlands. Batesville Casket Company is the nation's leading manufacturer of quality hardwood and protective metal caskets. Batesville Casket was founded in 1884 in Batesville, Indiana where its corporate headquarters remain today. For more information, visit www.emmersonbartlett.com or call 909-793-2311.