Walking Tour of Historic Downtown Bristol

The Hilbish Store, circa the late 1800's. Now home to the Red Bird Tavern.

On Thursday, June 18 the Elkhart County Historical Museum will be leading a walking tour of historic downtown Bristol. From 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. participants will be guided around the 180-year-old community by museum staff member Frank Fisher.

Participants on the Bristol walking tour will get to view the oldest church continually used for worship in Elkhart County, two buildings on the National Register for Historic Places, and the site of the old Bristol Banner. They will also hear stories of the ghosts that supposedly haunt a couple of the structures. A couple stops will include a brief look inside the buildings.

“All the landmarks on the tour have fun and interesting histories,” says Curator of Education Rebecca Oestreich. “For example, the Red Bird Tavern is named after the original owner Red Rigby who was known for his red whiskers and hair.” The Italianate commercial building that houses the Red Bird Tavern dates back to 1862 and once housed a Knights of Pythias hall upstairs.

The walking tour of Bristol starts the beginning of a series of summer walking tours that will explore historic neighborhoods in Elkhart County. “Over the next few years we plan to lead groups through areas all over the county,” says Oestreich. “There are so many interesting neighborhoods that are full of historic structures and fascinating stories.” The next walking tour will be on August 15th and will focus on the Baintertown Canal System. Once a thriving business district, Baintertown is now a ghost town, but remnants of the community are still visible.

The Historic Downtown Bristol Walking Tour will begin and end at the Elkhart County Historical Museum. Pre-registration for the walking tour is preferred. For more information or to sign up, please contact Oestreich at 574-848-4322 or email at rebecca@elkhartcountyparks.org.

Museum to Celebrate D-Day 65th Anniversary

Saturday, June 6th marks the 65th Anniversary of D-Day, the day Allies stormed Normandy beach in France and began to turn the tide in war torn Europe. The Elkhart County Historical Museum is celebrating this important date in WWII history with a day full of activities looking into the history of this great day.

“D-day is actually a military jargon term that refers to the start date of a military operation,” says Curator of Education Rebecca Oestreich. “Many operations during WWII had a D-Day but the one that took place on June 6th, 1944 has become known as the D-day because of the way it changed the direction and dynamics of the entire war.” D-day therefore deserves a special recognition when recounting the war today.

Included in the program is a memorial service, talks on the history of D-Day, and a scheduled time period for veterans to share their war stories. In addition to the scheduled program, the museum will also have WWII objects from its collection on display. These include field and dress uniforms, German helmets, and weaponry. Many of these objects are not normally on display so this is a great opportunity to see the collection.

The museum is also encouraging participants to bring in a photo of themselves or a loved one who served in WWII. The photo should be accompanied with a note card-sized description of who the person in the picture is, what their role was in the war, and any other interesting information you might want to add. The pictures and descriptions will be put on display in the auditorium throughout the program for visitors to look at.

Upon arrival, D-Day veterans should pick up a special ribbon recognizing their involvement in the important day.

“Unfortunately, those that lived through WWII and the D-Day invasion are aging. Therefore, it’s crucial to recognize these veterans and hear their stories while we still can,” says Oestreich.

For more information please contact Oestreich at 574-848-4322 or email at rebecca@elkhartcountyparks.org.

Program Schedule
10:00 - 10:30 Memorial Service
11:00 – 12:00 Talk: Fooling Hitler - The Fake D-Day Invasion Plans
By Marcia Brenneman, Elkhart County Historical Society board member
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch break
Look for discount coupons to Bristol area restaurants.
1:00 – 2:00 Talk: Military Operations during D-Day
By Nick Hoffman, Elkhart County Historical Museum Director
2:15 – 4:00 Open microphone.
Anyone in the audience is welcome to share stories of their experience either on D-day or during WWII in general. Both people who served in the war abroad or felt its effect back home are encouraged to participate.