The Material Legacy

Shop Tools

These tools belonged to my father prior to 1920. Some of them came from my grandfather who died in 1913.

• anvil
• Cold chisels, punch
• Rachet brace
• Ships auger bit
• Small claw hammer
• Carpenter's square (2′)
• Two hand saws (cross cut)
• Oil stone
• Block plane
• Carpenter level (wooden)
• Carpenter chisel (⅜″)

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.

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.

Dagger – Civil War

Taken from the body of a Confederate soldier (killed in action) by Joseph Cardinal (soldier in Union cavalry).

Butcher's Clever with sword handle

Used in Napolean's army.

The sword handle was probably a replacement, used instead of a regular handle because no other was available.

It was later found in a Wisconsin blacksmith's trash pail.

The rescuer brought it home and his wife used it to cut kindling. (Early 1800's.)

It travelled with them to Washington [state] and back, when it got its real workout chopping wood (1930's).

Diary

Gilbert H. Cardinal

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

Combination Pen, Pencil, Stamp

Mrs Frank Whipple

probably 1900

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)