A replica of President Abraham Lincoln’s casket will be on display at the Dell Rapids Museum through July 6 to celebrate Lincoln’s 200th birthday.
Teri Fiegen, president of the Dell Rapids Society for Historic Preservation, is fascinated with the history of Lincoln. “Even though it is a replica, it is neat to see it because it brings you back to Lincoln’s time,” she said. “This is another service we are able to offer the community to take part in an historic event.”
Abraham Lincoln’s casket will be on display along the south wall on the first floor near the Dell Rapids Amateur Baseball Display. The casket may be viewed during open hours at the museum and during Quarry Days.
Mark Kahler, owner of Kahler Funeral Home, said there is a huge amount of interest in Lincoln’s funeral because the funeral procession stopped from city to city.
“It was the first large-scale funeral and it changed what people expected in funerals,” he said. “Now, because of this, there is an outpouring of support from the community.”
According to historical accounts from a brochure that accompanies the display, it is believed that Abraham Lincoln’s death triggered the beginning of modern day funeral service. He was the first public figure to be embalmed and put on view for almost three weeks.
After President Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes booth on April 14, 1865 at the Ford’s Theater in Washington, D. C., the first public viewing was held in the White House four days later. After his funeral on April 19, the coffin was transported to the Capital for another public viewing.
It was decided that Lincoln should be buried in his home of Springfield, Ill. The funeral train started on April 21 and took the route that Lincoln had made as president-elect with a few changes. The train did not stop in Cincinnati or Pittsburgh, but did stop in Chicago.
At each major stop there were large funeral processions as the coffin was transported from the train to the place of public viewing.
On May 3, the train arrived in Springfield. The next day Lincoln was buried with his son, Willie at the Oak Ridge Cemetery in a temporary vault. The Lincoln Tomb was not completed until 1874.
The pamphlet states that an attempt was made by a gang trying to free a counterfeiting ring’s top engraver, who was imprisoned, to hold Lincoln for a ransom of $200,000 in gold and the freedom of the engraver. Lawmen foiled the plot.
In 1900, President Lincoln’s son, Robert, afraid that more attempts would be made to steal the President’s body, decided to permanently protect the president from any future attempts. The new monument was completed in 1901. The coffin was placed in a cage 10 feet deep and encased in 4,000 pounds of concrete.