The History Center

Have you ever taken the time to ponder the topic of how people sew? Before the invention of the sewing machine, all clothing and textiles were created by hand, one single stitch at a time. In the 19th Century, the invention of the sewing machine brought about innovative change and is celebrated each year on June 13th with National Sewing Machine Day. The sewing machine allowed individuals to have more leisure time and largely took the task of making clothes out of the home and into the industrial sphere. In a resurgence, today many people are again becoming interested in the art of sewing and making their own clothing. Today in celebration of National Sewing Machine Day, we share some of the historical sewing machines from our collection.

Getting to and from Fort Wayne and Allen County was not always smooth driving. In the beginning the rivers and the crude roads were the only means of entering the community. This all changed with the coming of the canal and its locks. The Gronauer Lock was built between 1838 and 1840 and was named for its lockkeeper Joseph Gronauer. The canal had a constant depth of four feet. A wooden chamber called a lock, with gates at each end, let water in and out to raise or lower a canal boat each time it passed through different elevation levels. In 1991, the Gronauer Lock received national attention when highway workers uncovered timbers while working on the construction of I-469 just east of New Haven. About two-thirds of the lock was excavated, including this piece. Although wood is not a desirable building material for water structures, because it speeds up the natural decaying process, it was a readily available material. As long as the wood remained submerged, the timbers would not decay. The accompanying sketches are from the excavation and show the locations of remnants #372 and #393.

Thanks to all who attended our second Miami Indian Heritage Days of the season on Saturday, June 6th. Erik Vosteen offered a demonstration on Cookware from Local Clays: Making and Using Replica Native-Style Pottery. Join us July 11th (please note that July’s event is on the second Saturday) for The Miami Artist with Cathy Mowry.

Have you ever stopped and pondered on the number of eggs consumed by the people of Allen County each day? Chances are that this has never crossed the minds of many, but the people of Allen County eat roughly 305,000 eggs each day. Each year our country celebrates National Egg Day on June 3rd. Eggs are a nutrient-rich food which provides an excellent source of protein and vitamin D. Eggs are an essential ingredient to baked goods and are a part of our everyday diets. Today we share egg related and egg shaped objects from our collection and encourage all to have an egg-cellent day!

Museums are institutions dedicated to displaying and preserving culturally or scientifically significant objects. In Allen County, there are multiple museums to choose from, including but not limited to: Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, Science Central and the History Center (museum of the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society). Since 1977, International Museum Day has been celebrated on May 18 and is globally a day celebrating the roles of museums in society. On this day, many institutions feature special events and increased public access. In celebration of this day, we share some throwback images and artifacts from the beginning the Historical Society’s museum.