Horseless Vehicles Part Two
As horseless vehicles became popular in the early 1900’s many carriage manufacturers simply switched from horse-drawn conveyances to engine power, keeping the same chassis and body designs. Often small shops used these components to design their own versions of the horseless carriage.
Horseless Vehicles Part One
Electric cars are not a new concept. Manufacturers were producing electric-powered cars in the late 1800’s as an alternative to gasoline powered engines. Like other early cars, many small companies built their own versions. Each claimed that the batteries they used were the most efficient and would last 60, 80, or 100 miles before recharging.
Muncie's First Golf Course Part 2
1925 began with some changes for the Minnetrista Golf Course. On Monday January 26th, Mr. & Mrs. Frank C. Ball and Mr. and Mrs. Edmund B. Ball signed over the land for Muncie’s first municipal golf course to the local Y.M.C.A. At the same time, Mr. & Mrs. George A. Ball conveyed the deed to the Walnut Street Baseball Park to the Y.M.C.A. Together, the two pieces of land became known as the Ball Recreation Field.
Muncie's First Golf Course Part 1
In September 1920, there was a growing interest in Muncie for the construction of a municipal golf course. A suggestion was made to the Board of Park Commissioners that land to the north of Highland Avenue in McCulloch Park could be used for a six- or nine-hole course.
A Machine That Changed The World
If I asked you to name an important invention from the first decade of the 20th century, what would come to mind? Airplanes? The air conditioner? Tea bags? Those are all good suggestions, but how about the Owens Automatic Glass Bottle Making Machine? I bet you didn’t think of that one, did you?
Cartoons, Comics, and Even Some Animation
In January, Minnetrista brought the fun and engaging travelling exhibition “Animationland” to campus. Created by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, this unique exhibit allows visitors of all ages to explore the world of animation through art and science. Although our visitors were able to enjoy this show for several weeks on our site, our temporary closure to the public has cut the show a bit short.
Votes for Women
As we progress through the calendar year, it is evident 2020 will be a year for the history books. From the global pandemic heaping impact after impact on our nation, to the upcoming presidential election, this year is sure to be filled with milestones and events historians will continue talking about for years to come. With so much going on it should not be forgotten that 2020 is also the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment – the groundbreaking legislation providing women with the opportunity to vote.
Hot Weather and Water Supplies
Hot weather is not a new phenomenon. While it currently may be hotter for longer periods of time and in places that do not normally experience high temperatures, extreme heat conditions made an impact on people’s lives and livelihood more than 100 years ago.
The Machine That Cures All Illnesses
If only it was that simple. According to the instruction book for a piece of medical equipment in the Minnetrista Heritage Collection, “All human ailments, with the exception of highly infectious and contagious diseases, are traceable to one cause: Imperfect circulation and impoverished blood.”
Experiencing Bob Ross at Minnetrista
In 1983 a Datsun camper drove into Muncie, IN, carrying a little-known art instructor named Bob Ross. Although the vehicle had seen better days and the wheels had some rust, the truck itself was filled with paints, canvases, and easels ready to unlock the creativity and dreams of those lucky enough to join Bob in one of his painting classes.
Baur Window Glass
Emil Baur started the Baur Window Glass Company in Eaton in 1897. The factory was located just east of the Standard Washboard factory, bounded by Perry Street on the west (known today as Meridian) and Washington Street on the south.
Delaware County Airports
Aviation excitement caught on early in Delaware County. On September 27, 1912, nine years after the Wright brothers’ first successful flight, the Muncie Aero Club was established. According to a Star Press news article that day, it was thought that “Muncie, the Magic City, should occupy a prominent space in the annals American Aviation. It possesses the intellectual, mechanical and financial ability to make it an excellent aviation center.”
Black History Month in Delaware County
February is finally here, and it’s a very special month for more than one reason. Not only is it a time to celebrate love with Valentine’s Day, but also to honor the strength and resiliency of African-Americans who paved the way in our communities.
Winifred, The Artist
Winifred Brady Adams, wife of well-known Hoosier Group artist J. Ottis Adams and a fine artist herself, is stepping front and center in an upcoming exhibition at the David Owsley Museum of Art at Ball State. The exhibition titled Impressions of Love: J. Ottis and Winifred Brady Adams, a Ball State University Centennial Exhibition will feature an almost equal number of paintings by the husband and wife artists.
Sand Eating Cult
When staff was brainstorming ideas for “Tea and Talk” programs for 2018, someone suggested that we do one on the weird and wonderful in Muncie. I gladly took the suggestion as I had recently found a newspaper story about the Muncie sand eating cult. How are you going to find a story weirder than the one about people who ate sand?
Muncie Transient Camp
In May 1934, it was announced that a camp for transients would be established on 35 acres north of the Indiana Steel & Wire factory site. The camp was a Depression era project through FERA (Federal Emergency Relief Administration) to relieve the burden of local agencies trying to deal with transient and homeless men. It was expected that the cost of housing men at the camp would be less than paying relief money to individuals.
Eaton Bank Robberies
In my last blog, I wrote about Eaton’s post office robberies and speculated that those events might have been the reason for Joel Hamilton’s ownership of a set of brass knuckles. That was not the only crime wave Eaton experienced in the early 20th century. In 1924 and 1925 both banks in town were robbed and in 1925 there were several thefts at businesses and homes.
Admiral Hayler From Muncie
In 1992 I received a call from William Hayler asking if Minnetrista would be interested in a donation of photographs, archival material, and artifacts relating to the career of his father, Admiral Robert W. Hayler. Admiral Hayler grew up in Muncie and sounded like an interesting man with an interesting story; of course we were interested.
Eaton Post Office Robberies
An interesting item in the Heritage Collection is a set of brass knuckles that belonged to Joel W. Hamilton of Eaton, Indiana. The story of why he had these is not clear although his son Herbert H. Hamilton related that a bank in which Joel had worked had been robbed and afterward he had the knuckles for discouraging further attempts. A look at crime in Eaton during the early 1900’s may provide some insight as to why he had them.