Stella Blackburn was born the fourth of eight girls to Captain John Blackburn and Roxanna Bohannan on Christmas Day 1871. She was an independent woman who loved to travel. Following the death of her second husband in 1922, she worked in real estate showing expensive homes in Beverly Hills. Stella maintained that independence into her 90s. Her trunk contains many of the silver, crystal and china pieces she collected over the years. You can see them at OpenTrunkMercantile.Etsy.com.
William Montgomery was born in 1864 in Camptonville, California where his parents were pioneer residents. His father deserted the family when William was very young so he and his mother moved to Monterey to live with his grandfather. When William was 14 years old, he began to learn the printer’s trade and later he worked as a foreman in the state printing office in Sacramento. His young wife, Irene, died just weeks after the birth of their second child. For reasons of his own health, William and his family moved to central California in 1894. California history is represented in William’s trunk and we hope you enjoy your discoveries. Visit us at OpenTrunkMercantile.Etsy.com
Tom tended to find purpose in that which others could find none. He was a collector whose stated goal was to “someday sell back to people those things they once thought they didn’t want.” His trunk is testimony to his hunter-gatherer skills: assorted architectural finds, vintage ephemera, photographic equipment, books and magazines, military surplus, tools, etc. He also was an avid collector of comic books, comic book art, illustrator’s portfolios, and science fiction. You can find this and more at: OpenTrunkMercantile.Etsy.com
John’s trunk is really a USMC footlocker. As a young Marine, he was selected as staff artist for Marine publications in San Diego with an offer to do the same work in Washington DC. He later developed a thriving career as a medical illustrator. His joys were competitive sailing, his Ferrari, and trains – both model and real. At one time he owned his own railway motor car outfitted with Western Pacific Railroad graphics. His work and dedication to high standards is still recognized by The Pasadena Model Railroad Club. John’s illustrations and graphic design are both the objects and inspiration for many of the items we have for you today. OpenTrunkMercantile.Etsy.com
Donald Allen was from Vermont and attended Norwich University where he rode on the University Polo team in the early 1920s. He later trained US Army cavalry soldiers in the finer equestrian arts. Don left the service for a time and managed a ranch in California – caring for livestock and leading pack trains in the Sierras. In 1940 he returned to the military and, while stationed in Saipan, he lead a special unit charged with convincing a Japanese regiment that the war had ended. He retired as a full colonel after 30 years having served in Europe, the South Pacific, and the Pentagon. Don’s trunk is full of memories both travel and military. Available at: OpenTrunkMercantile.Etsy.com
William H. Johnson, Jr. was born in Blackduck, Minnesota and raised in Bemidji. In the summer he caddied at a golf course down the road from a mob compound frequented by Al Capone and he would watch the big, expensive cars cruise by. He entered the United States Naval Academy by congressional appointment and graduated in the class of 1944, serving in both the Pacific and later Korea. Always willing to speak his mind, Bill ran for office in 1958 for election to the California State Assembly and in 1964 for the United States Congress. After years of loyal season ticket buying, he was gratified to watch the Angels secure their first World Series title. Bill’s trunk has many political ephemera items and years of Angels’ baseball memorabilia. OpenTrunkMercantile.Etsy.com
Louise Schuster was born in Benton, Illinois in 1893 and moved to California when she was eight years old. Her father was a conductor for the Southern Pacific Railroad. Though she began to lose her sight in the early 40s, she had a life-long love for stamp collecting – commemorative, first-day issue, United Nations’. Louise’s trunk has many wonderful items from the 30s and 40s including depression glass, jewelry, and silver. It also has her colorful stamps. Please enjoy them at: OpenTrunkMercantile.Etsy.com
Beverly Estelle was born in Los Angeles and raised in Beverly Hills. After graduating from Santa Barbara State College – later to be University of California, Santa Barbara – she taught first grade in Long Beach. As the wife of a naval officer and candidate for U.S. Congress, Beverly was a gracious and vivacious hostess. Her trunk is full of many late-depression to mid-century treasures. There are also many charming children’s books from her years as a child, as a teacher, and as a mother. OpenTrunkMercantile.Etsy.com
In 1880, John Catlin and his brothers acquired 40,000 acres outside of White Sulfur Springs, Montana. They built a 2-story log home, stables, barns, a blacksmith shop, bunk house for eight hired hands and set about raising cattle. This is where Thyra was born. Thyra’s father purchased the first four cars ever to grace the dirt roads of White Sulfur Springs. It was the winter of 1908 and when they arrived all of the engine blocks were cracked. Someone had forgotten to drain the water and, with temperatures below zero, the cars didn’t stand a chance. Thyra grew up there and later moved to Carpenteria, California where her family owned oil property on the beach. Many items in our shop are inspired by Thyra’s life. Visit us at OpenTrunkMercantile.Etsy.com
In 1910, when California highways were mostly dirt trails, Ray Thomas was a dealer representative for Chanslor & Lyon Motor Supply Co. selling automobile parts and equipment. The job kept him on the road a lot servicing the small but growing number of mechanics and dealers between Los Angeles and Sacramento. And, even though he was able to drive the best cars of the day, in 1932 the radio business lured him away and he became a distributor of RCA products with his own Pasadena storefront. From Ray’s trunk we are able to offer many antique and vintage automotive items, vintage radios, radio scripts, advertising ephemera and specialty recordings. You can find items from Ray’s trunk at OpenTrunkMercantile.Etsy.com.
Our first trunk belonged to Claire T. McKinsey. Claire was born September 2, 1892 in Sacramento, California. She grew up in Hanford where her father was the Coroner. The family later moved to Oroville where her father continued his business as a mortician. He was the first in the area to use a motorized hearse. Upon his death, Claire inherited his funeral home, Chapel of the Palms Mortuary. She married a man who’s ambition was to play professional golf. Thinking this was not an appropriate life course she filed for divorce – a choice she regretted the rest of her life. Claire was an unstoppable world traveler having visited Jordan, Hong Kong, Saigon, Italy, Japan, Germany, France, England, India, Cambodia, Jerusalem, Burma, and Spain. Many of the treasures she picked up on her trips are offered in our Etsy shop and she would enjoy knowing they are still loved. See them at OpenTrunkMercantile.Etsy.com.