{"id":89865,"date":"2023-03-06T10:19:46","date_gmt":"2023-03-06T15:19:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=89865"},"modified":"2023-04-27T13:46:48","modified_gmt":"2023-04-27T17:46:48","slug":"was-your-ancestor-buried-a-short-history-of-cremation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/was-your-ancestor-buried-a-short-history-of-cremation.html","title":{"rendered":"Was Your Ancestor Buried? A Short History of Cremation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction:<\/em><\/strong> In this article, Gena Philibert-Ortega discusses the possibility that your ancestor was cremated rather than buried, and gives research tips. Gena is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Have you become frustrated trying to find your ancestor\u2019s burial place? In previous blog articles we have discussed reasons why you can\u2019t find an ancestral burial, but there is one possibility that we haven\u2019t discussed.<\/p>\n

\"Illustration:<\/a>
Illustration: Dr. Francis Julius LeMoyne, who built the first crematory in the U.S., in Washington, Pennsylvania, which operated from 1876 to 1901. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Have you considered that your ancestor may not have been buried at all? Cremation has been an option in the United States since the late 19th<\/sup> century. Though not hugely popular \u2013 until 1980 less than 10% of burials were cremations \u2013 there were those who felt it was the best option for disposing of remains. (1) It\u2019s important to keep in mind that even if you think your family would have been opposed to cremation for religious reasons, there were others who didn\u2019t have a choice due to circumstances outside of their control, such as dying during a natural disaster where the need for cremation was the only option.<\/p>\n

We don\u2019t discuss cremation in genealogy often but it is one of the possibilities we must consider when we are conducting late 19th<\/sup> and 20th<\/sup> century research.<\/p>\n

A Short History<\/strong><\/p>\n

The first crematory in the United States was in Washington, Pennsylvania, and it operated from 1876 to 1901. Dr F. Julius LeMoyne believed that the burial of bodies posed some health threats to the living, including the possibility of embalmed bodies leaking toxins into drinking water.<\/p>\n

Already in his 70s and turned away from adding a crematory to the local cemetery, he built one on his own property. LeMoyne\u2019s first cremation was a sheep to ensure that his crematory was in working order before taking human customers.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
National Labor Tribune (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), 28 October 1876, page 4<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

His first customer came a few months later. Joseph Henry Louis Charles, Baron de Palm, was the first person cremated in the U.S., on 6 December 1876.<\/p>\n

A crowd of 100 people came to watch the transformation of the 160-pound man into 6 pounds of ashes. As you can imagine, since cremation was in its infancy in the United States, the event was controversial and resulted in newspaper reports, debates on cremation, accusations, and even photographs that could be purchased of the Cremation Hall.<\/p>\n

A local newspaper, the Washington Review and Examiner<\/em>, reported on the spectacle of that day.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Washington Review and Examiner (Washington, Pennsylvania), 13 December 1876, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

All in all, Dr. LeMoyne\u2019s Crematory was the choice for 41 people from multiple states including Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, New York, and Indiana. The first woman to be cremated was LeMoyne\u2019s second customer, Mrs. Jane Pitman (wife of Benjamin Pitman, who popularized his version of shorthand), and the third customer was Dr. LeMoyne himself.<\/p>\n

While early cremations were not a popular choice for American families \u2013 and there were some strong feelings about it, including religious objections \u2013 it was available. By 1887, Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Cincinnati, Ohio; Los Angeles, California; Buffalo, New York; and Detroit, Michigan, had crematories. (2) The industry journal The Urn<\/em>, first published in 1892, featured articles promoting cremations and highlighted the various crematories in the United States, such as this one in St. Louis, Missouri. (3)<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Missouri Crematory, St. Louis, Missouri, from the March 1894 issue of The Urn. Credit: Google Books.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Not all the people who were cremated chose this option, or were cremated in a crematory in the United States. In some cases, bodies were cremated out of necessity due to large-scale disasters such as the 1900 Galveston, Texas, hurricane.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Wilkes-Barre Times (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania), 17 September 1900, page 6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since the beginning of cremation in the United States and shortly thereafter, cremains have been stored in urns and either buried or placed in columbarium niches \u2013 but not all were. Inurnment of cremains was not a priority for cremationists until 1920 when, according to the Cremation Association of North America, it became a priority. (4) Throughout its history, cremains could have been scattered or simply lost. In that case there would be no marker for them, and no recording of what happened or a final resting place. If your ancestor was cremated, the only clue may be found in the death certificate, funeral home record, or newspaper obituary.<\/p>\n

Not Everyone Is Buried<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to access death records for your ancestor, but keep in mind that their final resting place may be influenced by their historical era, the circumstances surrounding their death, their personal beliefs, finances, and what was available.<\/p>\n

Explore over 330 years of newspapers and historical records in GenealogyBank. Discover your family story! Start a 7-Day Free Trial<\/a><\/p>\n

Note on the header image:<\/em><\/strong> Dr. F. Julius LeMoyne’s crematorium in Washington, Pennsylvania. Credit: Theosophical Society in America; Theosophy Wiki.<\/p>\n

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