The Humorous History of the American Casket Company presented by Mike Beardsley Mike Beardsley.
Join us for these interesting and bizarre tales of the American Casket Company. Town of Sullivan Historian Mike Beardsley as will walk you through the cemetery of long forgotten caskets and casket companies. Marsellus Casket (Syracuse), National Casket (Oneida), Utica Casket (Utica), Asbestos Casket (Lowville), Anti-Trust Casket (Canastota) and many more had their roots right here in Central New York State but are now consigned to history’s graveyard of long forgotten New York manufacturers. Learn the answers to the cryptic questions of what killed these once thriving New York institutions.
Among other things we will discuss how the death of Abraham Lincoln dramatically changed the face of funeral service in America right down to influencing the style of caskets that we use to this day. We will dig into how the fear of grave robbers; the terror of premature burial; and the dread of decomposition all contributed to manufacturers concocting designs for caskets that range from the strange to the completely bizarre.
AGE GROUP: | Teen | Seniors | Adult |
EVENT TYPE: | Adult Programs |
From Utica Route 5 west to Chittenango. Left on 13 south to Cazenovia. Route 13 joins Route 20 in Cazenovia. Library is across Route 20 from Route 13 on left. Library is located on Route 20 - third building East of traffic signal on South side. White Greek Revival building with pillars. Parking behind the library.
