Ever since I can remember, we have had this small trunk.
As I was growing up, my father was a member of a group called The Civil War Roundtable.
The group would meet monthly, discussing the Civil War.
Somehow (I don't know how) all of the men had collected items from the Civil War.
Some of the items were passed down in families.
Some things
(like bullets and small pieces of equipment)
could be found in woods and areas where battles were fought.
I know that my dad and his friends spent time in these areas just soaking up the history.
Back then
(in the late 1940's and through the 1950's)
there were no regulations on what to do with all of this "old" stuff
people had found in these wooded areas.
Things changed when
(probably in the 1960's)
many of the battlefield grounds became National Parks and Grounds.
Anyway, at these meetings, the men would trade items.
That is how this trunk came to our home.
Dad said the trunk carried medical supplies during the war.
I do know that it has been painted red since the 1800's (probably by my mother.)
I don't know the original color.
I lined the inside, years ago, because I thought it was a little gross if I was going to use it for storage.
I really love the tag inside,
The Pettibone Bros. MFG. Co.
Manufacturers of Regalias, Supplies, and Costumes,
for all Secret Societies.
Military and Band Uniforms and Equipments.
Cincinnati, Ohio
I have been using this sweet little trunk for storing spring/Easter decorations.
Wanting to move it out of my closet,
I decided some new paint was in store,
since the current paint was a mess with paint splatters and blobs.
After painting it, I thought I might sand off some of the gray paint to show bits of the red.
I actually liked just the gray paint best.
I know that the value of such a piece goes down when it is painted and updated.
That doesn't matter to me because I will always keep this little trunk, anyway.
