Blanket Chest
This chest was the property of my great
grandfather, Samuel S. Johnston (1806-1886),
and was given to me by his daughter Mary Ann
Johnston Cardinal (1842-1935) who was my
grandmother.
Blanket Chest
Brought to USA (?)
from Ireland by S. S. Johnston
(later sergeant in regular U.S. Army
including Mexican and Civil wars)
Original color appears to be dark
blue. [Perhaps it was a U.S. Army chest.]
Note: Secret drawer
I am not sure of the origin of the chest.
It may have come with S.S. Johnston when
he emigrated to the United States from
Ireland. Or, it may have been an army chest
acquired when he served in the U.S. Army
during the Mexican War and Civil War.
The chest was made of only six boards: one
each for bottom, sides, ends, and lid. When
I received it (about 1923), the chest was
in sound condition except for the split lid.
Also, the molding along the front edge of
the lid was gone, one hinge missing, one
handle missing, lock inoperative, the lid
and lock of the inside compartment missing,
and the exterior scarred from handling.
The original dark blue paint was intact,
but scratched. The damaged lid had been
reinforced, using cut nails. See the secret
drawer under the inside compartment.
Recognizing its value as a family heirloom,
my mother and father fixed it up for use in
the house. The missing molding was replaced
on the lid front edge, casters added, a strap
(made from my father's old pants suspenders)
installed to hold the cover, and the entire
chest covered with a coat of varnish-stain.
I undertook restoration over a period of
time ending in 1983. I removed the varnish-
stain, retaining the original paint,
strengthened the cover with dowels and
screws, and applied two coats of paint of
a color maatched to the original by the
proprietor of Monte's Paint & Decorating.
To preserve the wood, I painted the
previously unpainted bottom exterior and
applied a colorless spray finish to the
entire inside. In the process, I had a
hinge made by a blacksmith at Heidgen Co.
(115 S. Broadway, Green Bay) to match as
well as possible the original. The original
is on the left and the copy on the right.
Leather handles for both ends were made
for me by a shoe repair shop; the original
brass plates are on the right end, those
on the left I made from a piece of new
brass plate, screws are new.