The Material Legacy

Thread Box

This is the sort of box commonly used in stores which sold spools of thread during the nineteenth century.

This particular box was left by former owners in a ranch house (the Taft house) we moved into when I was about two years old (1915). It was used by me to keep small toys. The ranch was located at Indian Prairie, near Spokane, Washington.

A penciled note on the back of the lower drawer reads: Save this box for Mrs. Taft if empty any time in 11/17/1891.

I removed the old finish, made a new front for the lower drawer of red oak, turned and painted wooden knobs for the lower drawer to match the original black Bakelite knobs on the upper drawer, and applied clear finish.

The box has been used by my wife, Bea, as a jewelry box.

Child Chairs

The four chairs have interesting histories.

The green straight chair was bought by her parents for my wife, Beatrice Ferslev, when she was four years old (in 1919). It was used specifically for her to sit on in the one-seated family automobile while her older sister sat between the parents and the younger sister sat on mother's lap.

The other three chairs were given to me after my *cousin's children outgrew them (about 1915). The training chair was a brown color – stain and varnish –; we never had the tray. The "kitchen" chair was red enamel. I remember the rocker as yellow – probably a stained or natural finish. When Uncle Abe Frei brought the training chair from Spokane, Washington, out to the ranch on Indian Prairie, he was embarassed; so he put it in a burlap bag. I named the chairs for ranch horses – Major (training chair), Queen (kitchen), and Flo (rocker) and drove them with string lines. The chair backs and rear legs still show the wear from being dragged across the floor. I still refer to them by name.

Round Table

The round table was made by my grandfather, Joseph Cardinal (1830-1913), and came to my father after Grandpa's death.

As I remember it, the table was a dark color. It was later painted black, and then, still later, gray.

My son, Peter, now has the table.

Moustache Cup

From the home of Gilbert Cardinal. History not known.

Billfold and $1 Bill

Owned by Gilbert H. Cardinal. [Large size bill; 1923 silver certificate.]

Pen

Probably belonged to Lillie Strahl Cardinal (possibly to her mother Mrs Frank Whipple)

Field Tools

These tools belonged to my father, Gilbert Cardinal, prior to 1920. Most of them were probably in 1917 when we moved onto a farm at Oneida, Wisconsin.

• Double-bitted axe (handle replaced about 1965)
• Scythe
• Wooden hand hay rake (I turned replacement teeth in 1985)
• Garden spade
• Two three-tined pitch forks
• Corn knife
• Post hole digger
• Buck saw
• Lantern
• Short-handled square shovel (this was discarded by C&NW Ry in 1920's)