The "A Trunk Of Fun" Story

Foreword:  Happy Easter to all of you on this Joyous Christian Holiday.  My intention was to post a story about my wife's chocolate Easter Eggs she makes, but I took too long shopping for groceries and an Easter present for her that by the time I returned they were finished.  Maybe next year!!  I did include a photo at the end of today's story.

Round-top trunk from my Grandpap.

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out eBay to see how much the old trunk that occupies a window view in our guest room may be worth.  Looks like anywhere from $75 to close to $1,000.  Years ago, when my grandpap died, my wife and I went to his home on South Prince Street in Lancaster, PA to see what we may want to take as a remembrance of him.  I found an old drop-leaf table that was minus the drawers and one of the two drop-leaves in the third floor where I lived for over a year with my mom when my dad was in the Army during WWII.  

Leather handles on either side.

Figured I could refinish it and use it somewhere in the house.  Still have that in my basement, not knowing what to do with it at present.  Thought of taking some of the bottles of rose-petal wine that were in his dirt-floor wine cellar, but Carol talked me out of that, since they were covered with a thick coating of dust and we had no idea if they were preserved properly.  The biggest find for Carol and me was the antique round-top trunk that the rest of the family had passed on and was left to us to decide to take it before it was discarded.  We took it to our home on Janet Ave. and used it to store our children's board games.  I cleaned the outside of the trunk and put a coat of finish on it to help preserve it.  

Inside covered with gray paper. Slats on the sides
were used to hold a wooden shelf or storage bin.

The inside was in fairly good condition, but the storage shelf that at one time sat on the supports along the sides of the interior, was missing.  When we moved to our "Beach House" in the mid-1990's, we moved it once again.  I have started to try and find homes for the unwanted items we have accumulated over our lifetime and the trunk is on the list of items.  I figured I would do some research on the trunk to see what value it might have.  Round-top trunks were first made in the late 1700's to early 1800's.  They were tough, functional trunks used for just about anything from storage to traveling.  

Print of young girl feeding her chickens.

They were lined with newspaper or hand-decorated paper.  Some trunks were covered with hides while others, such as the one I have, were made of wood.  The early trunks were the fore-runners of the Hope Chests given to new brides or Treasure Chests that are used to hold family treasures.  I have no idea how old the trunk is that I have.  Inside on the lid of the trunk is a print of a young girl feeding chickens.  There are leather handles on either side and metal strips on all the corners.  The top has wooden strips across it for support.  I often wondered for what grandpap and his family used the trunk.  Did they load it on the back of their car when going on vacation?  Did they keep the family heirlooms in it?  Or did they just keep my mom and her sister's board games in it?  Works great for that.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  

Carol's Happy Easter Eggs