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Todd Stockwell
Curator of Agriculture, Industry and Technology
The Indiana State Museum collects objects that have had economic or technological significance to the citizens of Indiana over time. These objects are chosen to document the contributions of individual Hoosiers and selected Indiana businesses to American culture. Emphasis is placed on objects made or designed in Indiana. Consideration is also given to objects that document and represent achievements, inventions, and innovations made or used by the people of Indiana. Additionally, the collection includes objects documenting the various ways Hoosiers have earned a living over time, how they did business and how they built things.
The physical storage limitations of the previous museum building left this area of the collection lacking key examples of many larger objects now desired to show the prominence of agriculture and manufacturing in Indiana's history. Aggressive-but highly selective-collecting is now being pursued with the expanded opportunities for display made possible with the move to the new Indiana State Museum building.
Agricultural holdings range from early hand tools to large machines. Collection emphasis is on farm tools and implements made in Indiana, especially examples from globally recognized manufacturers, such as Studebaker, Oliver Chilled Plow and Birdsell of South Bend; Rumely of LaPorte; and Gaar-Scott of Richmond. Horse-drawn implements include plows, cultivators and seeders. Two early portable steam engines (circa 1852 and 1876) illustrate the early application of mechanical power to the farm. One of the last Rumely Oil Pull farm tractors made (in 1929) shows the transition from steam power to internal combustion engine powered farm tractors. A 1940s Farmall row crop tractor represents the full replacement of muscle power by machine power on farms. The collection also includes examples of packaging for processed foods including vegetables, cereals and lard. Most objects presently in the collection relate to the crops of corn and wheat. However, tools associated with animal husbandry, cheese making, haying and the tobacco industry are represented as well.
Industry holdings include not only examples of products made in Indiana, but also objects used in manufacturing and business within the state. The collection encompasses Indiana-made automotive parts and several Indiana-made automobiles including examples manufactured by Maxwell, Sears, Stutz and Studebaker. Several horse-drawn vehicles made by or distributed by Indiana firms are represented as well. Illustrating the tremendous breadth of Indiana manufacturing over time are examples of Indiana-made 1950s Wheel Horse and Bantam lawn and garden tractors; early Johnson and Portage outboard boat motors; Madame C. J. Walker hair care product packaging; a South Bend metal lathe; and various musical instruments such as pianos, organs, brass instruments, and stringed instruments. Artifacts representing the timber, furniture, glass, metalworking, and steel industries are also in the collection.
Rounding out the technology collections are miscellaneous objects, such as hand tools, photography equipment, medical tools, communications devices, railroad and river boat items, home appliances and office machines.
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