Uploaded January 2023 | Updated September 2026, 3 hours ago
In this video, we investigate the grave of speedy the mummy, which is located in Kentucky. We learn about the mummy and how it became famous.
If you're looking for things to do in Paducah, Kentucky, be sure to check out this grave of a mummy! This site is a fascinating example of ancient Egyptian culture and is a must-see for anyone visiting Paducah. Not only is the grave interesting to see, but the surrounding area is full of History and culture!
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The Second Channel
Back Roads Golf
youtube.com/channel/UC1SyAlmRqg32d4yFA8jt0aA
Youtube Channels to check out!!
Big Daddy's Mississippi
youtube.com/channel/UC_OplD3L30vRFMlys9mnvcg
First church of the Masochist
youtube.com/c/FirstChurchofTheMasochistHikes
Michigander man
youtube.com/c/michiganderman
Grave Tales
youtube.com/watch?v=hcY0xINedO4
What's the Deal with Danny
youtube.com/channel/UCzYoOSS-nWVQjl-FSncwLKQ
Speedy the Mummy
Charles Atkins was born in Tennessee and, as an adult, moved to Kentucky to find work. Not much is known about his life. He settled in downtown Paducah as an hourly employee at a plant with ties to the tobacco industry. He gained the nickname "Speedy" at work because of his speed with handling tobacco. Single and without known relatives, he befriended A. Z. Hamock, an African American who owned the city's only funeral home for blacks in the segregated city.
In May 1928, Atkins went fishing and fell with his line into the Ohio River, where he drowned. The city transferred his body to Hamock's Funeral Home for a pauper's burial. Having created a powerful preservative, Hamock decided to experiment with it to preserve Atkins' body. The mixture transformed the corpse into a wooden-like statue. While Atkins' black skin was altered to a reddish color, his facial features remained recognizable.
Hamock put the preserved body of Atkins on occasional display at the funeral home; he mostly stored it in a closet. He did not charge a fee for viewers. Washed away by waters of the Ohio River during the Paducah flood of 1937, Speedy's body was recognized and returned to Hamock at his funeral home.
After Hamock died in 1949, his wife Velma took over custody of Atkins' body. She kept it for another 45 years before burial. During the 66 years that Atkins' body was preserved, awareness of the mummified corpse became more widespread.
Mrs. Hamock planned to bury the mummy in 1991 on her late husband's 100th birthday, but waited until May 1994.
About 200 people attended Atkins’ funeral/burial.
″He came to Paducah a pauper, poor, homeless, a nobody,″ said the Rev. H. Joseph Franklin. ″Today, he’s going to be laid to rest at last, as a celebrity.″
I did not expect to read this. Why I’m sharing it.
As Speedy’s coffin was lowered into a hole at Maplelawn Cemetery, Clifton Bowles Jr. fought back tears. Bowles started working at the funeral home in 1947, and it was his job to bathe Speedy’s body. Bowles called himself Speedy’s baby sitter.
″It kind of hurts,″ Bowles said. ″He’s been with us so long.″
In this video, we investigate the grave of speedy the mummy, which is located in Kentucky. We learn about the mummy and how it became famous.
If you're looking for things to do in Paducah, Kentucky, be sure to check out this grave of a mummy! This site is a fascinating example of ancient Egyptian culture and is a must-see for anyone visiting Paducah. Not only is the grave interesting to see, but the surrounding area is full of History and culture!
Use my LiquidIV code "backroads15" to save 15% off your order
Link to the store for shirts, mugs and hats!
backroads.myspreadshop.com
Join this channel to get access to perks:
youtube.com/channel/UC9dnvvg1YqxK7d2KQjzoQ_g/join
Support the channel through Paypal:
ffpodcastsec@gmail.com
Support through Patreon!
patreon.com/backroads1
The Second Channel
Back Roads Golf
youtube.com/channel/UC1SyAlmRqg32d4yFA8jt0aA
Youtube Channels to check out!!
Big Daddy's Mississippi
youtube.com/channel/UC_OplD3L30vRFMlys9mnvcg
First church of the Masochist
youtube.com/c/FirstChurchofTheMasochistHikes
Michigander man
youtube.com/c/michiganderman
Grave Tales
youtube.com/watch?v=hcY0xINedO4
What's the Deal with Danny
youtube.com/channel/UCzYoOSS-nWVQjl-FSncwLKQ
Speedy the Mummy
Charles Atkins was born in Tennessee and, as an adult, moved to Kentucky to find work. Not much is known about his life. He settled in downtown Paducah as an hourly employee at a plant with ties to the tobacco industry. He gained the nickname "Speedy" at work because of his speed with handling tobacco. Single and without known relatives, he befriended A. Z. Hamock, an African American who owned the city's only funeral home for blacks in the segregated city.
In May 1928, Atkins went fishing and fell with his line into the Ohio River, where he drowned. The city transferred his body to Hamock's Funeral Home for a pauper's burial. Having created a powerful preservative, Hamock decided to experiment with it to preserve Atkins' body. The mixture transformed the corpse into a wooden-like statue. While Atkins' black skin was altered to a reddish color, his facial features remained recognizable.
Hamock put the preserved body of Atkins on occasional display at the funeral home; he mostly stored it in a closet. He did not charge a fee for viewers. Washed away by waters of the Ohio River during the Paducah flood of 1937, Speedy's body was recognized and returned to Hamock at his funeral home.
After Hamock died in 1949, his wife Velma took over custody of Atkins' body. She kept it for another 45 years before burial. During the 66 years that Atkins' body was preserved, awareness of the mummified corpse became more widespread.
Mrs. Hamock planned to bury the mummy in 1991 on her late husband's 100th birthday, but waited until May 1994.
About 200 people attended Atkins’ funeral/burial.
″He came to Paducah a pauper, poor, homeless, a nobody,″ said the Rev. H. Joseph Franklin. ″Today, he’s going to be laid to rest at last, as a celebrity.″
I did not expect to read this. Why I’m sharing it.
As Speedy’s coffin was lowered into a hole at Maplelawn Cemetery, Clifton Bowles Jr. fought back tears. Bowles started working at the funeral home in 1947, and it was his job to bathe Speedy’s body. Bowles called himself Speedy’s baby sitter.
″It kind of hurts,″ Bowles said. ″He’s been with us so long.″
