Throwback Thursday Cremation Edition: Did You Know? Lawrence F. Moore

Lawrence F. Moore, pictured above, was the long-time president and operator of the Chapel of the Chimes in California and was the most adamant cremationist of his time. He was the most instrumental character in the cremation world and held the accomplishment of coining the word “inurnment.” Additionally, he invented the first electric-powered cremator, and a unique metallic disc used in every cremation to identify cremated remains. He also was the first to suggest using a cardboard temporary urn to encourage the selection of a permanent urn. His facility, the California Crematorium (now known as Chapel of the Chimes) in Oakland, California, is inarguably the most successful crematory and columbarium in the country. From 1911 to 1934, the California Crematorium had conducted 23,732 cremations, 53% of which were placed in bronze urns and inurned in the columbarium.

Lawrence Moore’s dedication to cremation and permanent memorialization is most evident in the permanent placement of his remains in the Garden of Supplication in his beloved Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland. (Photo courtesy of Chapel of the Chimes, Oakland, California.)

Source: The Cremation Historian