>> WELCOME TO THE PETTENGILL-MORRON HOUSE, WE ARE PORE TRYING A FUNERAL AND
MOURNING TRADITION.
IN EACH ROOM, YOU WILL SEE SOME
OF THE TRADITIONS, THE FACTS,
SUPERSTITIONS OF WHAT HAPPENED
DURING THE CIVIL WAR DURING A
FUNERAL.
>> YOU WILL NOTICE HERE IN THE
LIBRARY, WINDOW COVERINGS ARE IN
PLACE TO KEEP THE WORLD FROM
INTRUDING IN THIS RATHER SOMBER
TIME FOR THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
WE HAVE ALSO COVERED ALL THE
MIRRORS IN THE HOUSE BECAUSE THE
BELIEF IS THAT AFTER THE DEATH
AND BEFORE THE FUNERAL, THE
FIRST PERSON TO SEE THEMSELF IN
A MIRROR WILL BE THE NEXT PERSON
TO DIE.
WE CARRY THE BODY OUT WHEN WE
TAKE IT OUT OF THE HOUSE.
WE WILL TAKE IT OUT FEET FIRST
BECAUSE THAT WAY THE BELIEF IS
THAT YOU WILL NOT -- THE SPIRIT
WILL NOT INFLUENCE ANY OF US TO
JOIN THE DECEASED PERSON ON HIS
TRIP TO THE NEXT WORLD.
>> THIS IS THE ROOM WHERE WE ARE
HOUSING THE INFANT CASKET.
THE MORTALITY RATE WAS VERY
HIGH.
DEATH WAS VERY CONSTANT IN THE
1860'S.
THREE OUT OF 20 CHILDREN DID NOT
LIVE UNTIL THEY WERE ONE YEAR
OLD.
IT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE TO HAVE
YOUR PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN.
ONLY THE RICH REALLY HAD THEM.
HOWEVER, IF AN INFANT OR YOUNG
CHILD DIED, THE PARENTS WOULD
SOMEHOW GET THE MONEY TOGETHER
AND HAVE THE PHOTOGRAPHER COME
TO TAKE A PICTURE OF THE
DECEASED CHILD.
THIS WAS VERY, VERY SPECIAL, THE
ONLY REMEMBRANCE THEY HAD OF THE
CHILD.
>> BACK IN THE VICTORIAN DAYS,
THEY DIDN'T FEAR DEATH. THEY
FEARED NOT BEING REMEMBERED.
THEREFORE, THEY WANTED THEIR
MEMORY AND THEIR LIFE TO HAVE
SOME MEANING. SO WE KEPT THE
MOURNING TRADITIONS GOING UNTIL
AFTER THE CIVIL WAR, AND KEPT ON
UNTIL WORLD WAR I.
>> THESE ARE EXAMPLES OF
VICTORIAN HERITAGE.
MOURNING JEWELRY HAS BEEN AROUND
SINCE 1400'S. BUT THE HAIR
JEWELRY BECAME POPULAR
ESPECIALLY IN 1860'S, SAME TIME
UNITED STATES CIVIL WAR WAS
TAKING PLACE.
SOLDIERS IN THE 1860'S ACTUALLY
LEAVE LOCKS OF THEIR HAIR WITH
THEIR FAMILY IN THE EVENT THEY
WOULD NOT RETURN.
YOU COULD RECEIVE INSTRUCTIONS
AND HOW TO DO THIS YOURSELF OR
YOU COULD HAVE IT PROFESSIONALLY
DONE.
THE WREATHS WERE ESPECIALLY
POPULAR.
VICTORIAN LADIES LIKE TO
DECORATE THEIR HOMES.
THEY WOULD MAKE THE WREATHS.
IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL TO HAVE
SEVERAL DIFFERENT GENERATIONS
REPRESENTED WITHIN THE WREATHS.
I THINK IT IS VERY SENTIMENTAL.
I PERSONALLY LIKE IT VERY MUCH.
I WOULD LIKE TO WREED R READ A
QUOTE FROM A LADY OF THE TIME
PERIOD, HERE IS WHAT IS THE MOST
DEG KIT AND LASTING OF OUR
MATERIALS AND SURVIVES LIKE
LOVE.
>>.
LOVE. >>. >>
DURING THE VICTORIAN PERIOD, THE CUSTOM WAS FOR THE WIDOW TO WEAR FULL MOURNING ATTIRE FOR A
PERIOD OF AT LEAST TWO AND A
HALF YEARS AFTER THE DECEASED
HAD PASSED AWAY.
THAT WOULD INCLUDE A FINGERTIP
LENGTH VEIL ON THE LADY'S FACE
WHEN SHE WENT IN PUBLIC, NO
JEWELRY AND ALL BLACK GARMENTS.
AFTER MOURNING PERIOD OF TWO AND
A HALF YEARS, SHE MIEG INTO HALF
MOURNING, BLACK DRESS, BUT VEIL
SHORTENED TO SHOULDER LENGTH AND
BEGAN WEARING SOME JEWELRY,
HOWEVER, NOTHING SHINY OR WITH
COLORED STONES.
ONLY TIME THE LADY WOULD LEAVE
THE HOUSE WOULD BE TO GO GO TO
CHURCH AND TYPICALLY ON THE ARM
OF HER SON, UNCLE, BROTHER OR
ANOTHER MALE RELATIVE OF SHE
WOULDN'T SPEAK TO OTHER MEN, AND
NO ONE WOULD SPEAK TO HER WHILE
SHE HAD HER VEIL DOWN UNLESS SHE
SPOKE TO THEM FIRST. IT WAS
CONSIDERED A SIGN OF RESPECT.
MANY OF THE MOURNING TRADITIONS
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IN THE
HOUSE WERE MADE POPULAR BY QUEEN
VICTORIA.
SHE WENT INTO THE MOURNING WHEN
PRINCE ALBERT PASSED AWAY IN
1861 WHICH WAS THE PROPER THING
FOR A WIDOW TO DO.
DIFFERENCE QUEEN VICTORIA
REMAINED IN MOURNING UNTIL 40
YEARS UNTIL SHE HERSELF PASSED
AWAY OF SHE ONLY WORE BLACK IN
PUBLIC, AND ALSO PROBABLY IN
PRIVATE.
SHE QUIT WEARING HER CROWN
BECAUSE THEY HAD THE JEWELRY.
SHE ONLY WORE VEILS.
WE PUT THIS ON HISTORICAL
SOCIETY, WE HAVE FRIENDS OF THE
GAR THAT'S INVOLVED.
WE HAVE CIVIL WAR RE-ENACTORS.
IT IS A COMBINED EVENT, AND WE
ALL CAME TOGETHER AND I THINK
THAT WE WILL DO THIS EVERY YEAR
AROUND HALLOWEEN.
>>
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE PEORIA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, (309)674-1921.