Antique Desk Reveals Century-Old Family Story

Customer finds secret compartment with documents and photos from 1917 Hudson River car accident

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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A customer browsing an antique secretary desk at a St. Louis antique shop discovered a secret compartment containing documents and photographs from 1917 related to a car accident on the Hudson River in New York. The items were identified as belonging to Bob Klebe, whose family once owned the desk. The photos and documents detailed a harrowing incident where Klebe's mother, then 12 years old, was rescued from the frozen Hudson River after the car she was traveling in broke through the ice.

Why it matters

This discovery provides a rare glimpse into a family's history and the dramatic events they experienced over a century ago. The rediscovery of these long-lost artifacts highlights the importance of preserving personal and historical records, even in unexpected places like antique furniture.

The details

While crossing the frozen Hudson River in 1917, the car Klebe's mother was traveling in with her father and brother broke through the ice. Nearby hockey players were able to rescue Klebe's mother by using their hockey sticks to pull her from the river. The documents and photos found in the secret compartment of the antique desk provided the first visual proof of this family story that had been passed down for generations.

  • In the winter of 1917, the Hudson River froze over for more than a month, creating an 'ice bridge' that allowed cars to cross.
  • On the day of the accident, Klebe's mother was 12 years old.

The players

Bob Klebe

The owner of the antique desk, whose family previously owned the desk and whose mother was involved in the 1917 Hudson River car accident.

Andrea Goris

The social media coordinator at the White Rabbit antique shop where the customer discovered the secret compartment and documents.

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What they’re saying

“She said, you might not have known this is in here, but there are these secret kind of compartments in here. It had documents and pictures from 1917 about a car crash that happened in New York on the Hudson River.”

— Andrea Goris, Social Media Coordinator, White Rabbit Antique Shop (KMOV/CBS NEWSPATH)

“I jumped at the chance. Only to find that this is my mom's desk. That had been in our home in Manchester.”

— Bob Klebe (KMOV/CBS NEWSPATH)

“She was 12 years old at that point in time. The car started to go through the ice. Hockey players came and saved my mother by wrapping one of their hockey sticks around her scarf and pulled her out of the Hudson River.”

— Bob Klebe (KMOV/CBS NEWSPATH)

“The whole story is just unbelievable all the way around. The whole family knew the story, but we hadn't seen the pictures of the car going through the ice.”

— Bob Klebe (KMOV/CBS NEWSPATH)

“She would love it. She loved to tell the stories, and nobody ever believed this story if she didn't have the visual proof of what happened.”

— Bob Klebe (KMOV/CBS NEWSPATH)

What’s next

Klebe plans to preserve the documents and photographs found in the antique desk and share them with his family to continue the legacy of this remarkable story.

The takeaway

This serendipitous discovery highlights the enduring power of family histories and the importance of preserving personal artifacts, even in the most unexpected places. The century-old tale of survival and resilience serves as a poignant reminder of the human experiences that can be uncovered through the passage of time.