Made by Ben Kirkendall in 1906.
During the 1870s to the 1930s tramps made this stuff out of cigar boxes—it’s cedar wood.
Before landfills, cigar boxes were readily available. This was thin wood, easy to carve, and cedar is good quality.
So hoboes would sit and notch, whittle and layer these slices of wood by gluing them together.
They made jewelry and knickknack boxes, frames, and bartered them for food or shelter.
Ben Kirkendall roomed in a barn across from the Commercial Hotel—now known as Callahan Funeral Home.
In 1923 the Historical Society made a project of compiling a list of the earliest residents, collected their photos, and put them in this frame.
Ken Sereno got some new photos and wrote up their biographies. You can buy a copy in the gift shop for $5.00
Museum of the Grundy County Historical Society 