… 26-year-old who died from smallpox in 1851 and was laid to rest in church founded by first generation of free African-Americans
- Construction workers in 2011 discovered the human remains buried under an abandoned lot in the Elmhurst neighborhood of Queens, New York
- The body was in such good condition they called 911 fearing a homicide
- But forensic experts discovered she was actually born before the Civil War and died in 1851
- She was identified as Martha Peterson, daughter of John and Jane Peterson, prominent figures in Newtown’s newly created free Black community
- Martha worked for coffin maker Fisk & Raymond – the same company that made Martha’s iron coffin which kept her preserved for 150 years
- She died aged 26 from smallpox and her lesions were still visible
Read full article here: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6224537/Secret-identity-150-year-old-woman-buried-iron-coffin-New-York.html
Wow, how many of these were sold. Did one geographic area purchase more of these than others ?