The Material Legacy

Bedroom Set

The set – bed, dresser, comode – was new when my parents (Gilbert and Lillie Cardinal) were married in 1901. The bed no longer exists. The set is made of cherry wood. The dresser originally had a mirror in a frame so that the mirror could be tilted. My mother removed the frame and hung the mirror on the wall in the 1920's. The frame is gone, but the mirror was left in attic at 132 S. Oneida St. until Carl Sippel gave it to me in 1985. The bevel-edge mirror has a broken-out section which my mother concealled with picture post cards.

Rocking Chair

The bent-wood arm rocker belonged to my grandmother, Lillie Roy Strahl Whipple (1860-1921), and it was used by her until her death in 1921. Then it became the property of my mother, Lillie Strahl Cardinal (1877-1948), until her death in 1948. It was constantly used all those years. After Mother's death, the chair remained in our attic until I completed refinishing in 1982.

I removed all of the old finish and refinished with Formby's tung oil finish rubbed into the natural wood. I replaced the seat with new leather tooled by my sister-in-law, Helen Lu Ferslev, in a pattern similar to the original. New tacks were used. Other than minor joint tightening, no restoration was needed.

Match Box

This match box was used by my parents for many years. I don't know its origin, but I remember it in the basement at 132 South Oneida Street, Green Bay, Wisconsin, from the mid-1920's. It was mounted near the furnace and remained there when the house was sold to Carl and Marian Sippel in 1950 or 1951. They continued to use the box for matches in the basement until 1982. They gave it to me for Christmas 1982. It continues in use for matches beside our Franklin stove.

The box is wall-mounted of cast iron, and is of self-closing design. It measures about 3¾″ × 2¼ × 1″ – just right for a handful of wooden kitchen matches. These words are cast on the lid: Self Closing – for matches &c. – Patented Dec. 20, 1864 – D.N & Co. – New Haven. The bottom is made rough as a place to scratch the matches. The remainder is coated with black enamel.

In 1983, I removed the original enamel and recoated it with new black enamel.

Game Board

This game board measures about 29″ square with mesh pockets at the four corners. It was patented by The Carrom Company, Ludington, Michigan. This is Style E, No. 1 Archarena. It is designed to play Carroms (registered) and checkers on one side and croquinol on the reverse side, as well as many other games. It came with an instruction book (now lost) covering 57 games (I think). Playing pieces are wooden rings in red, green, and clear, black. There are also two wooden cues 26″ long.

The game set was bought in 1918 or 1919 by my father, Gilbert Cardinal, while we lived at Oneida. He particularly enjoyed playing Carroms with my mother and me.

A few of the rings have broken.

Diary

Gilbert H. Cardinal

Mostly during War with Spain (1898). He served in Porto Rica [sic].)

Shop Tools

Acquired by me during high school years (1927-31) or before.

• Work bench (made for me by my father)
• Vise
• Claw hammer (marked Alty on handle)
• Push drill (Mr. Punch)
• Auger bits for brace (6/16″, 8/16″, 10/16″)
• Countersink bit
• Twist bit (¼)
• Brace
• Marking guage
• Try square
• Large screw driver (square shank, wood handle) (bought for me by my Uncle Sam Cardinal)
• Screw driver set (3 in 1)
• Wooden handle containing may tools
• Jack plane
• Carpenter chisels (½″ ¾″)
• Spoke shave
• Hand cranked grinder