CANFIELD AUCTION Kilcawley items to go on the block

The woman was the daughter of philanthropist and industrialist William H. Kilcawley.
By JoANNE VIVIANO
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CANFIELD -- Anne Kilcawley Christman is remembered by friends as a kind-hearted woman who carried on the tradition of her family by giving to charities and agencies in the Mahoning Valley.
"She was the daughter of a philanthropist and carried on the tradition of the family," said Herbert Pridham, a friend who knew Kilcawley Christman for years before her death in April at age 92.
Pridham said he'll have mixed emotions about attending a Saturday auction of Kilcawley Christman's belongings "and seeing all of Anne's things go on the block."
Paul Basinger of the Basinger Auction Center said the Kilcawley Christman collection one of the most unique he's seen.
"We've been doing this for 18 years and this is probably one of the highlights," he said.
Kilcawley Christman was the daughter of William H. and Mattie Kilcawley, for whom the Kilcawley Student Center at Youngstown State University is named. It was built, in part, with $300,000 from a trust fund in the couple's name. The auction will be at the Red Gate Farm, where her parents lived before her.
Range of items
Among items offered will be antiques and collectible items from the 1700s, and Civil War memorabilia. Basinger said a 1700s family Bible, Civil War pictures, regiment plaques and pins worn by soldiers are among the items offered. Bidders will also vie for Confederate money and Civil War letters.
Among other items are sterling and silver; precious metal, diamond and costume jewelry; gold coins and silver dollars; artwork; furniture including Victorian walnut pieces and Empire chests; appliances; china and glassware; clocks, including a working grandfather clock; books; furs; lamps; and other collectibles, including handcrafted quilts that earned blue ribbons in past Canfield Fair contests.
For a preview, visit www.basingerauctions.com.
Doors open at 7:30 a.m. Saturday at Kilcawley Christman's Red Gate Farm, 75-76 Leffingwell Road. The auction begins at 9 a.m. and Basinger said he expects to keep going past 5 p.m.
Two auctioneers will work in separate rings throughout the day.
At an auction of Kilcawley Christman's farm equipment Tuesday, 208 registered bidders showed up, Basinger said.
To register Saturday, bring a driver's license. Items can be purchased with cash, check or credit card (American Express, Visa, Master Card or Discover) and large items can be kept for later pickup.
About her father
William H. Kilcawley was secretary of the Standard Slag Co. and served on the Canfield Fair Board. He died in 1958 and was known as a philanthropist who gave to churches, the fair and the Canfield community, Basinger said. His wife died in 1972, leaving a $4.2 million estate.
There are no descendants to receive Anne Kilcawley Christman's estate, Basinger said, and it was her will for the items to be auctioned. The proceeds will go to surviving relatives, Basinger.
"She was like her father, who was very philanthropic, giving very heavily to a lot of charities," Basinger said. "She wasn't in the limelight. She did a lot of things, like him, behind the scenes."