Historic trunk rescued from garbage pile and returned home to Ridgway
RIDGWAY -- A 2.5 cubic foot steamer trunk originally owned by Mrs. W.H. Hyde of Ridgway in the 1890’s, was rescued from a pile of bulk items put out for pick up by a garbage service in Wisconsin. Nancy Peterson and Donna Bjorkquist, volunteers at the Elk County Historical Society, related how in early January they had received an email from Cassandra Berg in Wisconsin, stating that she and her boyfriend Nathan David had a small trunk with the words Mrs. W. H. Hyde, Ridgway, PA stenciled on it. She wondered if Mrs. Hyde’s trunk would be of historical significance and stated that “If it is, we’d like to send it home.” The woman went on to say that the trunk is in good shape, having Yellowstone National Park travel stickers and some old, torn rail stickers. Emails were exchanged indicating that the Historical Society would indeed like to have the trunk returned.
Through the generous actions of Berg and David of the Milwaukee region of Wisconsin, the trunk is now back to its real home in Ridgway where it is on display at the Elk County Historical Society. Another of Mrs. Hyde’s full-size trunks is already stored at the Historical Society’s Museum.
According to Berg, David works for a garbage service, and on bulk days about every 3 months, customers from the surrounding communities may bring in items too bulky or large for the curb collection, and the garbage service will dispose of them or recycle them at no charge. The crew is permitted to keep anything that is brought in if they want, and David liked the trunk and saved it. He thought it was unusual because of its small size.
Berg commented via email, “People really do throw out some incredible things. (It’s) sad, really. However, it provides us the opportunity to research and learn about the items he does bring home. Nathan is 90% sure that it came from one of the families in the Old River Hills area of Milwaukee. He recalls having a customer with the same last name of Hyde, but (he) hasn’t driven that particular route in years. River Hills is a very wealthy community, being the home of both old…and new money.”
Berg related that the trunk stayed in their spare room for a few years and was used as a nightstand. When she started quilting, they needed the space for her growing stash of fabric and discussed possibly selling the trunk on Marketplace or at a garage sale. But Berg hesitated; she really wanted to find out where the trunk had come from and how it ended up in Wisconsin, so she conducted some Google searches that included Mrs. Hyde’s name and city, eventually finding information mostly relating to Mr. Hyde, but it was enough to provide the lead she needed.
Both Berg and David are fond of antiques for the craftsmanship involved and the curiosity that unknown objects from a previous era ignite within them. “We sometimes feel like we were born in the wrong century since we seem to like classic things as opposed to new tech. I also joke that this is the house that garbage built. We are blessed to have many treasures that have been tossed away. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure!”
The story of how the trunk ended up in Wisconsin may never be known for sure, but Berg shipped the trunk via UPS, and although the Historical Society offered to share the costs, Berg assumed the total expense of shipping the heavy trunk herself. “We are just so thrilled it’s not just going to a good home… but its actual home. Who knows the last time it was there?” concluded Berg.
Mrs. William H. Hyde (Elizabeth) lived in the mansion that was built for her at 212 Main Street in Ridgway after her husband’s death in 1907. Elizabeth’s husband was a Pennsylvania State Senator and was the son of early Ridgway pioneer and lumber baron Joseph S. Hyde, according to documents provided by the Elk County Historical Society. The Hyde family made their fortune in several early industries, the best known of which was the production of fine woodwork at the Hyde-Murphy Company. This distinctive and prized woodwork is featured throughout the Hyde mansion as well as in many other homes, businesses, and churches in Ridgway’s National Historic Register District.
According to Elizabeth Hyde’s obituary which was also provided by the Historical Society volunteers, she died unexpectedly of a heart attack on April 10, 1921, at her home at the age of 71. “Her charitable works were numerous, but the giver always preferred to stay in the background. Her demise is certainly regretted by the people of Ridgway.”
It is left to the reader’s imagination to determine the story of the small steamer trunk and the places it may have traveled during its storied history before finally coming back home to Ridgway.