I hesitate to suggest this but see no mention of it in all the posts-
are you sure the legs haven't been cut off? It is quite home-made. Maybe
Mama just said, "Pa, I want a short chair."
The Minute Women, Civil Defense, Civil Air Patrol, etc. were all
homefront war and defense efforts. The Minute Women were involved with
material conservation for the war effort. Most if not all states had
these programs.
