Background

The early 19th century introduced a burgeoning class of funerary professionals in Tennessee. Carpenters, cabinet makers, livery workers, blacksmiths, and other artisans and businesses began offering funerary services–primarily transporting the body and providing a burial case–in addition to their typical businesses. By the eve of the Civil War, these developments of the funerary industry were largely piecemeal and limited to large cities and a few county seats.