Shoshone Indian cemetery, Wind River Reservation, Fort Washakie, Wyoming.
Most remarkable among the graves in this high plains cemetery are those made of old iron bed frames. Many believe that Sacajawea is buried here, though another grave claimed to be hers exists at Fort Manuel in South Dakota.
Throughout history, iron beds have used in cemetery’s as a sort of “final resting place” for the departed. The Egyptians used to put everything from everyday life into the tomb or crypt when their loved ones died. They believed even though you had died, you’d need everyday mundane things in the “next ” life. So it stands to reason that flash forward a couple of thousand years and people are still using a form of that tradition. Iron beds are thought to make the afterlife as comfortable as it was when sleeping in your bed.
Metal beds also afforded those people who couldn’t afford tombstones, a way to pay respect to their loved ones without the cost of a traditional grave marker.
I hope you’ve found this blog informative. I invite you to revisit my website
to answer any and all questions you might have about antique iron beds.
I also invite you to take a look at the multiple “Before & After” photo’s on our
company Facebook
at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cathouse-Antique-Iron-Beds/126838177398?ref=ts
