Re-housing of Collection Underway

The re-housing of the ECHM's collection is officially underway. The museum has been moving objects from its old storage room into the new annex. Before any artifact is moved into permanent storage it must first go through the processing room. In the processing room the artifact is cleaned, stabilized, and its information is recorded into the database.

Museum Director Nick Hoffman and Curator of Education Rebecca Oestreich clean and prepare artifacts for storage.

This is the museum's deep freezer. Objects that have pest damage can be placed inside the freezer to kill any possible remaining pests or their eggs.

Here Hoffman is filling out paperwork. Each artifact is carefully documented with information about its history and condition. The artifact is then placed on a numbered shelf with its location noted on the paperwork so it can easily be found.

These are some of the museum's reference materials. The many books and pamphlets assist the museum staff in both identifying the artifact as well as guiding the museum in how to best care for the artifact. Thanks to a bookshelf grant from the IMLS, the museum now has a nice collection of conservation reference materials.

Here Hoffman pulls an archival folder. Archival quality materials are an important component of object conservation.

Vintage Auto Show

On Saturday, July 11th the museum hosted a vintage automobile show as part of the Bristol Homecoming Festival. Any auto made prior to 1950 was invited to participate. Here are some photos of the amazing vehicles on display.

County Museum to Discuss History of the Elkhart County Fair

Museum Director Nick Hoffman will present a history of the Elkhart County Fair on Thursday, July 16 from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. The program will focus on the creation of the fair in 1851 to its rebirth in 1908 after several years of idleness.

“Everyone who visits or participates in the 4-H Fair today is connected to a long history that began before the American Civil War,” says Hoffman.

In 1851 the Elkhart County Fair started on Goshen’s courthouse square and provided farmers with a venue to learn about new laborsaving devices and compete for premiums for excellence in husbandry. The fair took a break during the American Civil War, but after hostilities subsided the fair began looking for methods to generate interest and profit for urban dwellers.

Baseball games, sideshow performers, and horse races became the popular attractions starting in the early 1870s. Attendance skyrocketed due to attendance by urban residents who had little interest in farming, but wanted to participate in the entertainment features. Twenty years later the County Fair created the midway with the inclusion of a merry-go-round. Hoffman will discuss these early rides and mechanical inventions that have become common features.

“Few people are familiar with the fair’s history,” says Hoffman. “Hopefully we can provide that linkage and demonstrate how and why the fair has changed since its inception.”

Participants will view early posters, correspondence, photographs, and brochures from the fair. The program will occur in the museum’s auditorium. Attendees are encouraged to share stories of their memories at the fair. For more information please contact the museum at 574-848-4322.