YESTERYEAR: The Evansville Coffin Company
The Evansville Coffin Company was a fixture in the North Main Street commercial district for decades. Organized in 1881, the business manufactured “fine funeral furnishings†for markets across the nation. The four-story factory on the northeast corner of Main and Michigan encompassed half a city block and was producing 500 coffins a week by the end of its first decade. Evansville’s plentiful supply of lumber, numerous railroad lines, and access to river transportation enabled the city to become a major manufacturer of furniture, wagons, coffins, and other products. The coffin company reorganized in 1944 but closed less than a decade later.
FOOTNOTES: We want to thank Patricia Sides, Archivist of Willard Library for contributing this picture that shall increase people’s awareness and appreciation of Evansville’s rich history. If you have any historical pictures of Vanderburgh County or Evansville please contact please contact Patricia Sides, Archivist Willard Library at 812) 425-4309, ext. 114 or e-mail her at www.willard.lib.in.us.
