150 Years Ago: April 21

On April 21, 1865, the train carrying the remains of President Abraham left the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad depot in Washington at 8 a.m. Two hours later, it arrived at its first stop, Baltimore, 38 miles away. In Baltimore, the coffin was transported to the Merchant's Exchange Building, where it was opened for public viewing. In less than three hours' time, approximately 10,000 people passed by the coffin before it was returned by hearse to the train for the journey to Harrisburg.
  

Illustration of the interior of the funeral car|New York Public Library

The train arrived in Harrisburg, 58 miles away, shortly after 8 p.m. There the coffin was taken by hearse to the state House of Representatives, where public viewing began at 9:30 p.m. and continued until midnight. It would resume at 7 a.m. the next morning.

Funeral train arriving at Harrisburg|Pennsylvania State Archives

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