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BROOKVILLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Accession List of May 5, 2013 Gifts
from
Carolyn Ruth Hunt
for
Brown – Rasor – Hunt Collection
1. H. K. White Silver Trumpet with leather case lined in tarnish proof cloth: with mute; missing
the mouthpiece. Please leave trumpet in the case as, being silver, it will tarnish. To
remove, bend to the right the right hand clasp holding the valve unit, and it will lift right
out. Bend clasp out again to set the trumpet in its place.
Trumpet story: This trumpet was purchased by Ennis B. Hunt around 1911-13. It is an H. K. White
trumpet that Dad always called a Cornet. Review by Buddy Rogers Music, Cincinnati, Ohio stated that it is a “small bore” trumpet, which is probably why Dad called it a cornet.
The only thing I know about it’s early history is that he had this trumpet when he went to the
U.S.Army at the camp in Chillicothe, Ohio in late 1917 or early 1918. When the company was first assembled, the men were asked how many could play musical instruments. Ennis stepped forward; “What do you play?” he was asked. “Trumpet” he replied. “Good! You are our company Bugler!!” And so, as Dad told the story, he missed most of the arduous basic training and instead sat out all day under a tree practicing all the various bugle calls. Since the Armistice
was signed November, 1918, he never left Ohio, and was mustered out with an honorable
discharge soon after.
My mother, Ruth Lucille Brown, played the piano, so Dad would go over to Norman
and Candis’ home east of Verona, Ohio, take his cornet, and he and Ruth would spend the
evening playing duets. Their favorite was “The Holy City” which I remember them playing
together well into the 1950’s. Their other ‘dating’ activity was attending basketball games, since
Dad was coach of the school basketball team.
I know Dad played his trumpet well into his 70’s (i.e.1960’s), but I do not know of his
playing it after Ruth died (April, 1971). He married Faye Sink 9 months later, Feb. 1972.
Faye’s daughter, Janet Korman, had 2 sons. Dad gave the trumpet to Faye’s 2 grandsons and one, I think it was Ben, took lessons and played this trumpet in his high school band. It was then
put back into the closet, and the mouthpiece was lost during that time. It was returned to me, Carolyn Ruth Hunt, in January, 2012. Donated to Brookville Historical Society, May, 2013,
about 100 years after Ennis acquired the trumpet and started playing it.
A letter of authentication from Conn Musical Instruments, Cleveland, Ohio, sets the date the trumpet was built to around 1910-12. They cannot be sure since many of their early records
were destroyed. The letter was also returned to me at a time when I was quite sick, and I remember seeing it. It is somewhere in my house and I hope to find it sometime, and thus give
it to BHS to put with the trumpet.
Written by Carolyn Ruth Hunt, daughter, May 5, 2013
May 5, 2013 Accession List – Carolyn Ruth Hunt collection Page 2
2. Wooden Stool (15 ¼ long x 12 wide x 10 ¼ high inches) upholstered in Red Naugahide:
This stool is one example of Ennis B. “Abe” Hunt’s various woodworking activities.
He built it sometime in the mid-1920’s to early 1930’s. His wife, Ruth, skilled in sewing &
upholstery, created the red naugahide cover. It really “goes with” the RCA floor model
pushbutton ‘automatic’ 1939 radio, because it is on this stool that 11 year old daughter Carolyn
Ruth Hunt sat with her head buried in the speaker, listening to the radio news about the
Peart Harbor attack on Dec. 7, 1941. Abe sat in a chair next to Carolyn and the radio, Ruth
on the sofa facing them. A scene almost identical to this was recreated by the Cincinnati
Historical Society in the 1990’s during their WWII 50th anniversary exhibit.