Zane Casket Company’s co-founder, C.A. Dougherty, married and joined the workforce after studying chemistry at The Ohio State University. He went to work for Columbus Coffin as a sales associate where he met his future business partner and mentor, Charles Axline. Charlie had been selling caskets for many years and would tell stories of traveling by train to make sales calls.

In 1942, C.A. moved to Illinois to work in a munition plant putting his background in chemistry to use during WWII. It was in Illinois that he started his family. As the war was coming to an end, C.A. contacted his friend Charlie with the idea of starting a casket business in Ohio. Together, they would use their experience from Columbus Coffin, knowledge of the area, and its potential customers in a growing market to create a successful business. C.A. and Charlie bought the 18,000 sq ft. property located at 604 Underwood Street, which was previously Justice Casket. On April 1, 1946, Zane Casket Company was born.

C.A. and Charlie created an innovative business unique to our area. Zane Casket manufactured caskets that were customizable based on the funeral director's needs, from paint color to interior color and material. The company also offered a variety of options: including bronze, copper, stainless steel, 16-gauge, 18-gauge, 20-gauge, and cloth-covered caskets to ensure they would meet the needs of all the clientele a funeral director would engage with.

C.A.’s oldest son, Bill Dougherty, joined the company as a salesman in 1964 after he graduated from Muskingum College. His youngest son, Robert Dougherty, came into the business a few years later in 1972. Robert, also a graduate of Muskingum College, was hired as the factory manager, overseeing all operations in the production of caskets.

As the staff grew, so did the business. During the early 70’s the Underwood area in Zanesville became part of the Urban Renewal Project which affected the entire area. All businesses and homeowners had to relocate during which time Zane Casket worked on moving to 1201 Hall Avenue. The building, in which the business currently resides, was originally a match company. In just a year, C.A. and his sons turned a 55,000 sq ft building into a casket assembly line, and shortly after, C.A.’s daughter Betty joined the team as their accountant. Zane Casket continued to manufacture metal caskets until the late 90s when they changed the operation to distributing due to a change in EPA laws.

Zane Casket has continued to serve Ohio and West Virginia as a distributorship while maintaining the personal touch that larger companies cannot offer. We currently distribute bronze, copper, stainless steel, 16-gauge, 18-gauge, and 20-gauge sealers and non-sealers. All options are available in half and full couches. We also offer a line of solid wood caskets consisting of walnut, cherry, oak, pecan, poplar, cedar, and pine. Our cloth lines offer variety from a 33-inch oversize, all the way down to child sizes. In addition, we also carry a cremation line as well as an oak rental casket that uses inserts.

Maintaining the family business, both of Bill’s sons have worked for the company, with Dan joining the company in 2007 as a sales associate.

Continuing C.A.'s legacy, Bob is the current President, Bill is Vice President and Dan is currently overseeing the sales and management area of the company.