Object Record
Images


Metadata
Object Name |
Trunk |
Catalog Number |
2012.fic.145 |
Description |
Trunk, white exterior, looks like heavy paper or card simulating leather. Wide leather strapping, with metal studs. Lined with printed cotton. Included an inner, removable shelf. Brass label on top says: "Herken Trunk Factory, La Crosse, WIS." |
Year Range from |
1909 |
Year Range to |
1922 |
Material |
Leather/Metal/Cotton |
Dimensions |
H-25.5 L-40 D-24 inches |
Length (in) |
40.000 |
Height (in) |
25.500 |
Inscription Type |
Manufacturer's Mark |
Inscription Text |
Herken Trunk Factory, La Crosse WIS |
Inscription Location |
Outside, on lid |
Subjects |
"Things that Matter" Businesses |
Search Terms |
Herken Trunk Factory "Things that Matter" Made in La Crosse |
Notes |
This trunk was made by the Herken Trunk Factory. George Herken came to La Crosse 1893 and opened the Herken Trunk Factory at 212 Main Street with the most modern appliances known to the trunk and valise trade. The factory manufactured a combination of steel and composition trunks, suit cases, cabinets, and traveling bags. The high quality and excellence of Herken's product was due to his impeccable taste and refusal to put out and inferior product. The quality and durability was so well known that Herken's product was preferred to competing Twin City factories. Featured in Things that Matter "Like a train whistle piercing the night or the blast of a steamship horn on the river, an empty trunk lures the would-be traveler to dreaming of far-away places. At the end of the nineteenth century any such travel was difficult. Wealthy travelers packed a small ‘steamer’ trunk (no taller than 13") for access during the journey and one or more large ‘box’ trunks for everything they might need at the destination, where the traveler might spend a month or more. Servants were employed to handle the bulky trunks. By the early twentieth century travel for pleasure became more democratic, no longer just for the wealthy. Middle-class, working folk began to embrace the idea of the ‘holiday.’ A booming tourist industry urged travelers to see America as a patriotic duty, and the idea of a summer vacation getaway was born. La Crosse, situated on the Mississippi River, was (and still is) ideal for starting either rail or steamboat travel, a perfect place for George Herken to set up his trunk factory in 1884. In 1909 Herken introduced the newly invented "vulcanized fiber" to La Crosse. He advertised it as a trunk covering stronger and more durable than leather. Herken's Trunk Factory produced all sizes of custom-made luggage. This trunk, built between 1909 and 1922, is a prime example of the high quality, custom-made trunks that were Herken’s specialty. By the late 1920’s with better roads and more cars, traveler’s needs changed. Such large trunks fell out of favor, replaced by smaller, more manageable bags. Large trunks were relegated to attics and storerooms, crammed with outdated treasures, full of memories too important to throw away. This article was originally published in the La Crosse Tribune. Title: The Call of the Open Trunk Author: Terri Kasten Publish Date: November 28, 2015 |