Saturday, November 14, 2009

Junk or treasures?


I got this from my Aunt Donna today. It has been sitting in her garage for over 30 years. It came with the house that my Grandpa and Grandma bought and she bought from them. I have no idea on how old it is.


I thought that it was a library card catalog but now I don't think so. The tags on the boxes say "Wisconsin Rapids, Whitehall and White Lake" Then those boxes are broken down alphabetically.


All the boxes were filled with junk or treasures. ( Depends on how you look at it) I say junk, as it was old tools,pipes, nails, chains and all kinds of (to me) junk. I was going to take it to the dump but I went to my friend Kellie's house as her husband is a mechanic and he might see value in it. He did. I'm glad that somebody will be able to use it.


Oh, there were a few mice traps in there. Also on the lower right hand side you see that light brown
pile that looks like hair? That's not hair. That's Oakum. Read all about oakum and amaze and astound your friends with useless knowledge!


I plan on cleaning it up and making it look all spiffy. Put it in a corner,put a plant on top and call it good. Maybe come summer I will strip it and sand it and varnish it. ( Maybe, that does sound like too much work for me)

11 comments:

  1. Oh my GOSH! That is ALL treasure!!!

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  2. Krissy that is beautiful!!! What a treasure. How is the visit with your folks going? Have you had a bonfire yet????

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  3. I really think it is an old card catalog...the drawers/boxes really give it away.

    Be sure to talk to the Chief about refinishing it. He can give you advice about that subject.

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  4. It almost looks like a place to divide the mail in an old post office.

    One thing about Oakum, is that is repells bats.

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  5. I'm home! I love that old cardfile holder. If you put it in your bathroom it would be a great holder for Q-tips, cotton balls, etc. But it wouldn't fit.

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  6. I learned something new today! never knew what Oakum was and had never heard of it..
    thanks for the history lesson.
    Rose

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  7. originally used for ... Typesetting for newspaper? the lead letters were somehow stored in the individual slots.. ? Looks like it might have been cannibalized and used for something else in it's most recent life.

    S.

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  8. WOW ... from google...wikipedia

    Geography

    Wisconsin Rapids is located at 44°23′12″N 89°49′23″W / 44.38667°N 89.82306°W / 44.38667; -89.82306 (44.386805, -89.823078).[4]

    According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.1 square miles (36.5 km²), of which, 13.3 square miles (34.3 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.2 km²) (6.02%) is water.
    [edit] History

    The American Indians called the area "Adahwahgam", meaning "Two-sided Rapids". Although Europeans began to settle this area in the 1830s, Wisconsin Rapids has been known by this name only since 1920. Prior to that, the community was divided by the Wisconsin River, with the west side incorporated as Centralia and the east side as Grand Rapids. The two cities merged in 1900, with the entire community taking the name Grand Rapids. The name was changed in 1920 to avoid mail and other goods from being misdirected to the much better known Grand Rapids, Michigan.[5]

    S.

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  9. Ooo...I like it. I absolutely love old furnishings. It will look great in your house. You could maybe even use it to store some of your soap stuff..

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  10. It was all treasure.. Don't know what my hubby will do with it all, but you know he rarely throws anything out.

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  11. It was all treasure..

    Don't know what my hubby will do with it all, but you know he rarely throws anything out.

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