I was an Egypt kid. The pyramids, hieroglyphs, and deities had me in a chokehold my entire childhood, so much so that I once attempted to mummify a chicken at day camp with toilet paper, salt, and a whole raw chicken. The practice of mummification spreads across the globe, from Chile to Siberia, whether purposefully or for environmental reasons. While the United States isn’t exactly known for its sprawling history and cultural traditions, Speedy Atkins of Paducah, Kentucky is proof that mummification can happen anywhere, anytime.
Charles Henry Atkins, nicknamed Speedy for his skill, spent much of his life harvesting and manufacturing tobacco products in Tennessee and Kentucky through the late 1800s. As a poor African American man with no known family, he spent much of his life invisible to those around him. One of Speedy’s only friends was A.Z. Hamock, the only African American underkeeper in the segregated town. The pair lived a quiet life in their respective fields; Hamock experimented with new preservation methods for his funeral home and Speedy spent his limited free time fishing in the Ohio River. On May 27, 1928, that river snaked Speedy’s balance from under him and drowned him in the shallows. He was 53 when he died.
The town turned Speedy’s body over to Hamock for a quick pauper’s burial. Hamock spotted an opportunity; his newest concoction of preservatives and embalming chemicals needed a test subject, and here he had a body with no family to complain.
When applied to Speedy, Hamock’s experimental chemicals solidified Speedy’s skin into a dehydrated, almost wood-like husk. His color lightened to a reddish brown, but to the passing observer and Hamock’s delight, the preserved body still looked very much like Speedy Atkins.
Speedy quickly became a staple in Hamock’s funeral home business, displaying just how miraculous science could be when it comes to deceased loved ones. However, when not being used as a prop in Hamock’s foyer, Speedy spent much of his afterlife tucked away in the Hamock family’s personal closets. The local spectacle quickly grew to nationwide fame, attracting the morbidly fascinated to Kentucky’s doorsteps.
It seemed the Ohio River had it out for Speedy Atkins, because in 1937, a massive flood spilled into town and swept Speedy’s stiff body downriver. He washed up on the shore a few days later. When people happened upon Speedy, they recognized his face as the famous Kentucky mummy and returned him to the funeral home.
Speedy Atkins remained with Hamock until his death in 1949. Like passing custody between parents, Hamock’s wife Velma took Speedy into her care. For another 45 years, Velma displayed the body for anyone who wanted to see. Everyone had their own reasons for visiting, but when asked about it, most describe seeing Speedy as a joyful, almost comedic experience.
Speedy’s quiet life before his death was outshined by his life after death until 1994, when he finally found rest at the Maplelawn Cemetery in 1994. The funeral proceedings brought over 200 people to Speedy’s side as he made his final descent into the earth, arguably where he should’ve been the whole time.
So if you’re ever in Paducah, Kentucky, consider giving Speedy a minute of your time!
