A Well Kept History

As time passes, the history of an object can often become less and less clear and details can be lost along the way. At the Historical Society, we strive for items in our collection to have a strong background or to aid in telling the story of a time period or event. Frequently items require additional research after they have been donated to the Historical Society. 

On occasion, donations come in where the history of an item has been meticulously kept and details recorded by family members. In 2015 a small undecorated trunk was donated to the Historical Society, with a detailed history that dated back to the 1820s. This trunk was (at the time) almost 200 years old!. 

In the 1820s, the trunk was originally given to Jacob Tinkham (then living in Vermont) by friends when he became a veterinarian. Jacob used the trunk to carry around his medical supplies and tools. About ten years later, a portion of the trunk was lined with newspaper. A piece of newspaper lining the trunk is dated Nov. 14, 1831 and mentions President Andrew Jackson. Around 1840, Jacob Tinkham (and his small trunk) arrived in Sauk County, Wisconsin. In 1862, Jacob’s grandson Henry Hiram Tinkham was born. When Henry was 7 years old, the trunk was given to him by his grandfather to hold his important childhood possessions. At this point, the history of the trunk notes that it was originally covered in colt/horse skin and later in life Henry altered the trunk. In 1951, when Henry Hiram Tinkham was 89 years old, he (with help from his daughter Ruth) wrote down the details of the trunk, to ensure that its history was remembered and shared. 

The trunk is currently on display in the Master Bedroom of the Van Orden Mansion, as part of our exhibit Artists and Artisans. The Mansion is open Fridays and Saturdays from 12-4, and is free to the public. We hope you will come check out this interesting little trunk as well as the other beautiful hand crafted items on exhibit.