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The Springfield Metallic Casket Co. was one of the largest US manufacturers of metallic caskets and metal burial vaults. The company was founded in 1884 and soon gained the reputation of being a producer of high quality caskets which could be specified to custom order. Springfield acquired also an excellent reputation as a manufacturer of high end caskets: wrought copper and sheet bronze caskets, oftentimes equipped with a hermetically sealing inner glass lid, as well as cast bronze luxury caskets. At the end of the 1950s the company had 230 employees. The Springfield company was one of the first metal casket manufacturers giving a 50 year warranty which promised that their caskets remained water tight. According to rumors, Springfield provided the caskets of Buffalo Bill Cody in 1917 and also the square bronze casket of Al Capone in 1947, which cost $ 2.000 (retail) at that time. The company seat was in Springfield, Ohio at Main & Mechanic St., but there was also a warehouse and office in Detroit until 1943. The Art Deco building in Detroit was taken over by the Mortuary Science Department of Wayne State University for more than a decade. In the early 1960s the company became a division of Springfield Greene Industries, Inc.; later a subsidiary of A-T-O Corporation of Willoughby, Ohio. These changes were to no avail: the Springfield factory closed in 1974.

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Q: What was the Springfield metallic casket company renown for?
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What was the former Boyertown burial casket renown for?

During the last three decades of its existence, the Boyertown Burial Casket Company, founded in the picturesque Pennsylvania smalltown in 1893 by a local banker, was known as the second largest producer (after the National Casket Co.) of a full line of caskets both for adults and children distributing its products on a nationwide basis. In that period, Boyertown manufactured approximately 5% of all caskets in the US, being the third largest casket maker in the country. (The largest manufacturer was Batesville, but that company produced metal caskets only at that time). Boyertown had now 23 branch offices with warehouses and selection rooms in all parts of the country. The headquarter of the company was located at North Walnut Street in Boyertown, PA, which at the beginning of the second half of the 20th was called "the casket capital of the United States." The Boyertown Burial Casket Company was the largest employer in town. From the very start of the company, the aim of the founders had been not just to supply Boyertown and the surrounding area with caskets, but to make better caskets than had been available. Due to the success of the founders, the Boyertown plant had 600 employees by 1910. Boyertown became one of the very few companies in the US which manufactured not only hardwood and cloth covered softwood caskets, but also wide a variety of metal caskets: steel, zinc, copper and bronze caskets welded from wrought metal sheets, as well as several designs of copper-deposited caskets (made by a time consuming electrolytic process): These rare luxury caskets, which weigh about three times as much and cost about ten times as much as a standard sheet copper casket, were manufactured only by very few companies. One of the Boyertown copper deposit caskets (the model # 2471) was double walled, featuring an outer copper deposited 48oz bronze casket and another inner 32oz solid bronze casket. This luxury model had a hermetically sealing triple lid: the outer one was undivided, the middle one consisted of divided panels; the innermost lid was not made of copper deposited bronze like the two others, but consisted of an undivided full length oval plate glass panel. The brass bar handles of the casket were attached in such a way that they did not penetrate the wall of the outer casket. The casket was available with either a statuary bronze finish or with a silver plated exterior. At the very top of their line, Boyertown offered several cast bronze caskets of different designs costing about three times as much as their copper deposited caskets and weighing about twice as much. In1968, the company started a big expansion program with the aim to become Americas largest casket manufacturer. But the resignation in 1975 of the last company president from the founder's family Mory led to the the downfall of the company, after Boyertown together with National Casket had became the first casket companies publicly traded on the stock exchange in the 1960s. Being run by the Wall Street holding company Tweedy Brown, Inc., Boyertown got a new management which followed a strict "shareholder value" course which resulted in strained relations with the workers, especially with the union members, culminating in a long and bitter strike in 1985. A new production system and a 10 hour shift were introduced with the intention to increase the output from 250 caskets a day to 300, but production fell instead to 200 caskets a day, 60% of them being metal caskets. In 1986 the company was bought by AMEDCO, a subsidiary of the Houston based funeral supply giant Service Corporation International (SCI), which decided to closed the factory in 1988- After the demise of once famous Boyertown Burial Casket Company, only a casket plant of the York Casket Company remained in the city of Boyertown. The Boyertown Burial Casket Company had built one of the caskets used by the famous Hungarian-American magician and stunt performer Harry Houdini: in 1925 he used an air and water tight Boyertown metal casket for a special demonstration in the art of survival: Houdini remained for an hour and a half in the sealed casket at the bottom of a hotel swimming pool without any visible means of obtaining air. Boyertown provided also the hardwood casket for the burial U.S. Senator Robert Kennedy (brother to the late President John F. Kennedy).


Related questions

What was the former Marsellus casket company known for?

The former Marsellus Casket Company was renown as the leading hardwood casket manufacturer in the US. Marsellus caskets were regarded as the finest - and most expensive - hardwood caskets in America.


What was the former National Casket Company of Boston renowned for?

The National Casket Company, founded in 1890, was renown as one of the giants of the American casket industry, offering the largest line of designs. National became very famous through its top of the line products: copper deposit and cast bronze caskets.


Who made coffins in 1880?

In most cases, caskets were made by local furniture and cabinet makers who served also as undertakers, building coffins on an "as needed" basis. In the US, the main impulse for the founding of specialized casket makers came during the Civil War, when thousands of coffins were needed to transport dead soldiers. In 1870, the J. M. Hutton Company of Richmond, IN (founded in 1845) began to concentrate all its activities on making caskets. In the 1880s there existed already several casket companies in the US, for example the Stein Manufacturing Co. founded 1872 in Rochester, NY - a company which later became the famous National Casket Company with its headquarter in Boston. In the same year, the Marsellus casket company - which probably became the most famous hardwood manufacturer of America - was founded in Syracuse, NY. Also the parent company of the renown Crane & Breed Company of Cincinnati, OH (founded under that name in 1882) was already in existence: since the mid 1860s, Martin H. Crane had experimented with wrought sheet iron as a less expensive alternative to cast iron, and by the end of the decade he had developed the industry's first sheet metal casket which could be mass produced. In 1884 the renown Springfield metallic casket company was founded The beginnings of the Batesville casket company - nowadays the largest casket manufacturer in the US - go back to the same year. Batesville became the most important pioneer of reasonably priced steel caskets and gasket sealer caskets.


When was Renown - company - created?

Renown - company - was created on 2004-03-01.


What was the former Elgin metal casket company of Elgin Ill renown for?

The Elgin Metal Casket company of Elgin, IL was renown as one of the largest manufacturers of quality metal coffins and as a company which provided the caskets for two American presidents. Already in 1933, Elgin caskets were regarded as being of such a high quality that an Elgin casket was chosen for the funeral of President Coolidge. He was buried in a polished solid bronze casket of the company: the round corner design had separately hinged caps and was equipped inside with a hermetically sealed full length oval plate glass lid. Then, in 1963, Elgin provided the casket in which President Kennedy was taken from Dallas to Washington, DC: his Elgin "Handley" model was a double lid sealer casket (without inner glass lid) weighing more than 300 lbs empty. The exterior had a "Britannia" (that is: partially brushed or "scratched") finish with a transparent amber (reddish) tint and a clear lacquer over it. The interior consisted of an adjustable inner mattress and a white velvet and satin lining. The casket certainly would have been used for Kennedy's burial, had it not been damaged during the loading / unloading process by the Secret Service people who unintentionally tore off the ornamental attachments of the swing bar handles. For that reason, the Elgin casket was replaced with a new casket (a Marsellus solid mahogany model), in which Kennedy was buried. Eventually ,his original Elgin casket was dumped in the Atlantic ocean by the Air Force in 1966 in order to prevent it from becoming an object of morbid curiosity. The successor to Kennedy's "Handley" model is still in production. A few years after President Kennedy's death, the Elgin Company changed the flaring round corner design of the original "Handley" somewhat by giving the casket a more pronounced urn shape. After the Elgin company had been bought by the renown mattress producer Simmons in 1968, the "Handley" was replaced by the "Winchester" model, which differed from its predecessor mainly by some embossed ornaments. This casket is still manufactured today by VerPlank Enterprises of Iron City, TN and can be seen in the Online Catalog of that Company. Other original Elgin designs have survived the end of the company as well, for example the thermo deposited "Citadel", a 48 oz bronze double lid design, which is manufactured currently by the York-Matthew company under the name "Marquis". Elgin was a very innovative company which came up with several patents. Since 1974 Elgin possessed a registered trade mark and pictured logo featuring a helmet as part of a knight's armor. The roots of the Elgin Metal casket company can be traced back to the Elgin Silver Plate Company, a casket hardware producer which was founded in Elgin, IL around the year 1892. Its products were so convincing in quality and price that already in 1899 the factory size had to be doubled; soon the production line was expanded to zinc casket liners. In 1926, the Elgin Silver Plate Company was acquired by the Western Casket Hardware Company (founded in 1903). Around 1928, the company's production line was expanded to metal caskets, which more and more became the main product of the firm. For that reason, the company's name was changed to Elgin Metal Casket Company. After the Second World War, Elgin concentrated on manufacturing metal casket shells which it distributed through a jobber organization known as Elgin Associates; these jobbers completed the casket shells with handles and / or interiors in accordance with the orders of the local funeral directors. One really wonders why such a big company with renown quality products hasn't survived. The downfall of the company probably began when it was acquired by companies not related to the funeral industry (mattress producer Simmons in 1968 and oil giant Gulf & Western in 1974). The loss of its experienced team of some 200 craftsmen caused by the move of the complete manufacturing plant from Elgin, IL. to Indiana in 1982, seems to have been the final blow for the famous casket manufacturer, which closed down in the 1980s and which should not be mixed up with the modern "Star of Texas Casket Company", a manufacturer of fine hardwood caskets and wooden urns located in Elgin, Texas.


What casket was president Lyndon Johnson buried in?

Quite a few people seem to be convinced that LBJ was buried in an oak casket, maybe because they have seen pictures of his graveside under a group of oak trees on his farm in the Texas Hill Country. But, as a matter of fact, he was buried in velvet lined silver-gray metal casket with dark swing bar handles manufactured by the (former) Belmont Casket Company of Columbus, Ohio. The round corner design of timeless simplicity was probably the "Columbus" model of the renown company, which had the reputation of producing stylish caskets of high quality. Belmont had also manufactured the solid bronze "Masterpiece" casket of Marilyn Monroe, but the company was first of all famous for its lead coated steel caskets, which had a corrosion resistant property. Already President Woodrow Wilson had been buried in a steel casket made by the Belmont company.


What company made the casket of Marilyn Monroe?

Marilyn Monroe was buried in an expensive luxury casket which was the top of the line product of the renown Belmont casket company of Columbus, Ohio (with another factory at Shadyside, Ohio), a firm which originally had become famous for its high quality lead-coated, corrosion resistant steel caskets, which were used also for the burials of President Woodrow Wilson and Lyndon Johnson. Marilyn Monroe's casket was a silver finished "Masterpiece" solid bronze casket, which was made of extra strong 15 ga wrought bronze (meaning partially 48 ounce per square foot sheets and partially 64oz sheets), resulting in a casket weight between 300 and 400 lbs empty. The casket had a hermetically sealed double lid, but no additional inner glass panel. The interior was of champagne colored hand tufted velvet with some satin and silk. The "Masterpiece" design, which soon became known as the "Cadillac of Caskets", had been registered by Belmont as trademark in 1957. After the Belmont company had been closed in the 1980s, the "Masterpiece" and some other Belmont designs were bought by the VerPlank casket company of Iron City, Tennessee. Since then, the "Masterpiece" underwent only some very minor changes (with regard to the handles for example). Thus, the silver finished 48oz double lid "Masterpiece twin seal" shown in the VerPlank Online catalog still looks more or less the same as Marilyn Monroe's casket. ((What company made the casket of Marilyn Monroe?)) durch Kommentierung beantwortet


Renown by or renown for?

When someone is held in renown it is for something, an example would be... Lambert was held in renown for his good manners and his generosity.


What was the Toccoa casket company renown for?

The former Toccoa casket company was known as the largest casket manufacturer not only in Georgia, but, at times, in the South of the United States, too. After World War II it was also the largest supplier of military caskets for the US government until the Vietnam war. It probably manufactured the military casket President Eisenhower was buried in. Toccoa also gained a reputation of being a pioneer in brush finished metal caskets. The company, whose logo showed Toccoa Falls, was founded in 1933 by Thomas McNeely as McNeely-Lipscomb casket company. Before that, the McNeely family had owned the Toccoa Furniture and Lumber Company founded in 1890. In the early years it produced cloth covered softwood caskets only. Changing its name to Toccoa casket company, it added a production line of metal caskets. During WW II, when the use of metal was severely restricted, it started producing hardwood caskets. After the war it offered a full line of wooden and metal caskets and also became one of the leading manufacturers of entirely wooden caskets used for traditional or orthodox Jewish funerals. Toccoa was also one of the few manufacturers of hermetically sealing copper or bronze liners with either a metal or a full oval plate glass top. The Tocca casket company was connected with the casket division of Progress Industries, Inc. at Arthur, Ill. The two factories had common warehouses in Florida, Maryland and Virginia also. After the Toccoa company had been sold by the founder's family in 1992, the plant, which was located at 726 W. Currahee St. in Toccoa, Ga. closed down at the end of the 1990s, probably in 1996.


Is the Elgin Casket Company of Elgin Illinois still in business?

No, the company, which existed under the name "Elgin Metal Casket Company" since 1939 and manufactured up to 70.000 metal caskets a year, - including the caskets of two American presidents - closed down in the 1980s. The roots of the company can be traced back to the Elgin Silver Plate Company, a casket hardware producer which was founded in Elgin, IL around the year 1892. Its products were so convincing in quality and price that the factory size had to be double in 1899 already; soon the production line was expanded to zinc casket liners. In 1926, Elgin Silver Plate Company was acquired by the Western Casket Hardware Company (founded in 1903) . Around 1928, the company's production line was expanded to metal caskets, which more and more became the main product of the firm. For that reason, the company's name was changed to Elgin Metal Casket Company. After the Second World War, Elgin concentrated on manufacturing metal casket shells which it distributed through a jobber organization known as Elgin Associates; these jobbers completed the casket shells with handles and / or interiors. As mentioned, Elgin provided the caskets for two American presidents. Already in 1933, Elgin caskets were regarded as being of such a high quality that an Elgin casket was chosen for the funeral of President Coolidge. He was buried in a polished solid bronze Elgin casket. The round corner design had separately hinged caps and was equipped inside with a hermetically sealing full length oval plate glass lid. In 1963, Elgin provided the casket in which President Kennedy was taken from Dallas to Washington, DC: his Elgin "Handley" model was a double lid sealer casket (without inner glass lid) weighing more than 300 lbs empty. The exterior had a "Britannia" (that is: partially brushed) finish with a transparent amber (reddish) tint. The interior consisted of an adjustable inner mattress and a white velvet and satin lining. The casket certainly would have been used for Kennedy's burial, had it not been damaged during the loading / unloading process by the Secret Service people who tore off the ornamental attachments of the swing bar handles. For that reason, the Elgin casket was replaced with a new casket (a Marsellus solid mahogany model). The original Elgin casket eventually was dumped in the Atlantic ocean in 1966 by the Air Force in order to prevent it from becoming an object of morbid curiosity. The successor to the "Handley" model is still in production. A few years after President Kennedy's death, the Elgin Company changed the flaring round corner design of the original "Handley" somewhat by giving it a more pronounced urn shape. After the Elgin company had been bought by the renown mattress producer Simmons in 1968, the "Handley" was replaced by the "Winchester" model, which differed from its predecessor mainly by some embossed ornaments. The casket is still manufactured nowadays by VerPlank Enterprises of Tennessee and can be seen in the Online Catalog of that Company. Other original Elgin designs have survived the end of the company as well, for example the thermo-deposited "Citadel" which is manufactured currently by the York-Matthew company under the designation "Marquis". Elgin was a very innovative company which came up with several patents. Since 1974 it possessed a registered trade mark and pictured logo featuring a helmet as part of a knight's armor. One really wonders why such a big company with renown quality products hasn't survived. The downfall of the company probably began when it was acquired by companies not related to the funeral industry (mattress producer Simmons in 1968 and oil giant Gulf & Western in 1974). The loss of its experienced team of some 200 craftsmen caused by the move of the complete manufacturing plant from Elgin, IL. to Indiana in 1982, seems to have been the final blow for the famous casket manufacturer, which should not be mixed up with the modern "Star of Texas Casket Company", a manufacturer of fine hardwood caskets and wooden urns located in Elgin, Texas.


How do you use renown in a sentence?

There once was a band of renown... His worldwide renown came early in life. He quickly won renown among his military peers.


What is an antonym for renown?

Antonyms for renown are anonymity, obscurity, and unimportance.