Historic trunk featured in Genoa

The historic Park/Hansen trunk Janice Hansen shared last May will be opened and unpacked again Friday May 5 at 7 p.m. and will be on display for a short time Saturday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. upstairs in the courtroom of the Genoa Courthouse Museum.

This is an opportunity to step back in time to another era and have a glimpse of the lifestyles of the people and families in early Nevada and Carson Valley.

The trunk is a family time capsule of occasions and events that were of importance to them and those around them.

The trunk belonged to Janice Hansen's grandmother Eliza Park Hansen. Some of the items in the trunk belonged to Eliza's parents and grandparents with some items dating back to the 1700s.

The trunk is packed with historic clothing, quilt, photos, jewelry, coins, important documents, wedding and Christmas gifts.

Included are a wedding photo of Eliza Park and husband William Hansen in the 1890s on their wedding day.

Eliza's handmade undergarments that match her wedding dress include pantaloons, a camisole and slip beautifully pleated and decorated with ribbons and crocheting and nightgown to match.

There are christening gowns of Wil and Eliza's children and photos of the important day and several of the children's outfits and baby clothing, all handmade.

Silk and velvet blouses and tops, aprons and other items of clothing, old papers and documents including old water rights, birth and death certificates, naturalization papers and poems and letters written by William to Lizzie are also included.

Also on display is a porcelain doll not found in the trunk but given to Hansen's grandmother Eliza by her aunt Dr. Eliza Cook and the box it came in from New York addressed to Dr. Eliza Cook Sheridan. Janice Hansen is the great-great niece of Dr. Cook, thought to be Nevada's first woman doctor.