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Henry County Historical Society & Museum

Bringing history to life & life to history since 1887!

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HENRY COUNTY HISTORY FEED

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HENRY COUNTY HISTORY FEED

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Spiceland Township, 1897, O.C. Steele Wall Map
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Copyright 1887-2024 Henry County Historical Society, New Castle, Indiana

Bringing History to Life &
Life to History Since 1887!

Hours of Operation
Please contact us to schedule a tour and/or research during these hours:
Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
If no appointment is made, tour and/or research cannot be guaranteed if no volunteers are available.
Open through early March to late December!

Admission Fees: None!

Call us: 765-529-4028
Email us:
HenryCountyMuseum@gmail.com
Mail us:
606 South 14th Street, New Castle, IN 47362

4,781

Henry County Historical Society, Inc

Open early March through late December!
Open Thursdays, Fridays, & Saturdays
11 a.m.-4 p.m. ET
Please call ahead for tours and/or research so that we may schedule volunteers. If no appointment is made, tours and/or research cannot be guaranteed.

Henry County Historical Society, Inc

6 days ago

On this day in history, June 25, 1925, the Maxwell Plant in New Castle became one of the original six plants in the new Chrysler Corp.Here is an article by Richard Bowman, courtesy the Chrysler Restorer's Club and an old postcard of the original plant from the files of the late Mike Bertram.Maxwell-Briscoe, formed by auto engineer John D. Maxwell and stamping tycoon Benjamin Briscoe, quickly had a booming business: they sold 542 cars in the first half of their first year, 1905. They quickly leased a second factory in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and a year later, opened a third in Chicago.A large new factory in New Castle was built to solve their capacity problems for many years. Construction began in early 1907; the plant was dedicated by the Vice-President of the United States, Charles W. Fairbanks, on June 22, 1907, when it was just half completed. Production started before the roof was completely finished, on August 13, 1907.In 1910, the Briscoe brothers, seeing the success of the new General Motors, created the United States Motor Company. It brought in not just Maxwell-Briscoe, but independents Brush, Dayton Motor Car Co., Courier Car Co., Columbia Motor Car, and Alden Sampson.New Castle continued to build the popular four-cylinder Maxwell cars until 1911. U.S. Motor, from 1910 to 1912, was dropping some of its money-losing or less-profitable cars and trucks, including Alden Sampson. Car production was moved to underused plants, and New Castle was converted to parts production.When, in 1912, United States Motor Company was forced into receivership, EMF's Walter Flanders created a new company, Standard Motor, to take over its assets. This occured on December 31, 1912; by the end of January 1913, Standard has been renamed - to Maxwell Motor Corporation. Maxwell dropped the obsolete Brush, Columbia, Stoddard, and Courier, but kept New Castle busy making parts.In 1916, the Forge and Hammer Shop was erected to house large steam-operated hammers, and New Castle became the largest automotive forge plant in the country. Maxwell flourished until 1920, when a crashing economy ran into increased production, resulting in 26,000 unsold 1920 Maxwells out of 34,169 made.Officials asked retired turnaround artist Walter P. Chrysler to save the company; leaving out many details, Chrysler not only saved the company, but gained full control of it. Chrysler Corporation purchased Maxwell Motor in 1925, around a year after Maxwell had produced the first Chrysler. Thus, on June 25, 1925, the New Castle plant became one of the original six plants of the new Chrysler Corporation.By 1934 there was a record setting 6,700 employees working at the New Castle plant. (I had the opportunity to speak with one of those employees, standing outside the plant, and he remembers building Maxwell parts as late as 1935. He had joined Chrysler in 1933.)In the 1950s, New Castle produced over 150 separate parts for all Chrysler Corporations cars and trucks. There was no Chrysler car or truck built without parts from the New Castle plant. Among the parts produced there were Oriflow shocks, steering gears assemblies, tie rods, truck axles and front end assemblies, transmission parts, and connecting rods.In 1957, the Chrysler annual report listed New Castle as simply making "forgings and finished machine parts."New Castle has kept changing as the Chrysler Corporation has changed, but the plant has soldiered on. In 1987, the plant became part of Accustar, Chrysler's new parts division, but it returned to Chrysler in 1989. The plant remained within the Chrysler fold until 2002, when it became part of a joint venture with Metaldyne, as part of DaimlerChrysler's selloff plan. Only 220 workers stayed after the sale; 300 retired, and 700 moved, many going 70 miles to Kokomo's transmission plant.The plant remained active until 2009, when Metaldyne shut it down.BASKETBALL LIVES HEREThis Day In Henry County history is brought to you by Destination Henry County Indiana. Discover slam dunk experiences at www.HoopsInHenry.com.Visit the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/VisitHenryCounty.com.HELP US PRESERVE COMMUNITY HISTORYPlease join the Henry County Historical Society with a $25 annual membership. Visit our website at www.henrycountymuseum.orgCOME SEE US!We're open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day and ANYTIME by appointment. Call us at 765-529-4028 or 765-524-0530. ... See MoreSee Less

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Henry County Historical Society, Inc

1 week ago

On June 24,1974, work was nearly complete on the Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips Restaurant at 21st and Broad streets in New Castle. The restaurant would be open for business four days later.According to Wikipedia, at the peak of its popularity in the late 1970s, Arthur Treacher's had 826 stores. As of 2025, there are only four stand-alone Arthur Treacher's locations remaining. The menu offers fried seafood or chicken, accompanied by French fries.[3] The fish and chips recipe is authentic having been purchased from Malin's in Bow, the first recorded fish and chips store in England (est. 1860s).Do you remember eating at Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips in New Castle?BASKETBALL LIVES HEREThis Day In Henry County history is brought to you by Destination Henry County Indiana. Discover slam dunk experiences at www.HoopsInHenry.com.Visit the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/VisitHenryCounty.com.HELP US PRESERVE COMMUNITY HISTORYPlease join the Henry County Historical Society with a $25 annual membership. Visit our website at www.henrycountymuseum.orgCOME SEE US!We're open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day and ANYTIME by appointment. Call us at 765-529-4028 or 765-524-0530. ... See MoreSee Less

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Henry County Historical Society, Inc

1 week ago

On this day in Henry County history, June 23, 1907, people all over New Castle and beyond were no doubt still talking about what happened in New Castle just a day earlier, when U.S. Vice President Charles Warren Fairbanks came to New Castle to give the dedication speech for the Maxwell-Briscoe Automobile Factory.Pictured here is the front page of The Daily Courier along with photos of the crowd when the cornerstone was laid. Here are excerpts from The Daily Courier's coverage of an event that changed New Castle forever and started an economic engine that roared here for the better part of a century.“The New Castle of today is far better known than the New Castle of Friday. At one single bound it has sprung into prominence never dreamed of. It is now the center of the automobile industry, which is only in its infancy. The old town never appeared better, never entertained distinguished guests more hospitably, never saw as great a crowd and never turned out as largely and completely as it did Saturday.“The exercises at the Maxwell-Briscoe automobile factory...marked another epoch in the industrial history and growth of New Castle, recognized as “the most progressive little city in Indiana.” The laying of the cornerstone climaxes the foundation for a greater and better city. It means that New Castle will be the automobile center of the United States. The Maxwell-Briscoe Company is the strongest in America and it will be the hub of the automobile industry.“The town was liberally dedicated and the occasion was such that it will be remembered for years.”“When New Castle citizens were called upon to do their part towards locating the factory last November, they responded in a manner outperforming even the largest cities in the United States."Such towns as Muncie, Marion, South Bend, Elkhart, Kokomo and others were considered by the automobile company. It was an anxious time, but where there’s a will, there’s a way” as was demonstrated when contracts were signed and delivered in duplicate form."Vice President Fairbanks did not leave New Castle at 5:30 p.m. Saturday evening as he had planned on account of the irregularity of the traction service, but got away about 7:30 p.m. He put in the time greeting friends and acquaintances in front of the Bundy Hotel, where he took supper.“He also made a call on Mrs. R.M. Nixon, widow of one of his best and closest friends of years ago.“Mr. Fairbanks greatly enjoyed the day and was thoroughly surprised and immensely pleased at the great turnout of people at the corner stone ceremonies. He remarked that he had never witnessed anything just like it in all his experience as a public man.”During his remarks, Fairbanks was quoted as saying:“It is doubtful if the pioneers who laid so well the foundations of this community imagined in their wildest fancy that in this rich agricultural region would arise such a vast manufacturing enterprise as the one whose cornerstone was have met to lay today….”BASKETBALL LIVES HEREThis Day In Henry County history is brought to you by Destination Henry County Indiana. Discover slam dunk experiences at www.HoopsInHenry.com.Visit the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/VisitHenryCounty.com.HELP US PRESERVE COMMUNITY HISTORYPlease join the Henry County Historical Society with a $25 annual membership. Visit our website at www.henrycountymuseum.orgCOME SEE US!We're open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day and ANYTIME by appointment. Call us at 765-529-4028 or 765-524-0530. ... See MoreSee Less

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Henry County Historical Society, Inc

1 week ago

On this day in Henry County history, June 23, 1983, the Gen. William Grose home at 606 S. 14th St. was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.Here is a column written by County Historian Darrel Radford for The Courier-Times about the Grose home, which has been the site of the Henry County Historical Society Museum since 1902.By DARREL RADFORDHistorically SpeakingThe year was 1870. Less than 100 years after America won its independence. Just 54 years after Indiana became a state. Only 48 years after a formation of a county named after a man who famously said “Give me liberty or give me death.”That year, a stately new home was built for a Civil War general and local attorney – William Grose.Gen. Grose was definitely not a give-orders-and let-others-do-the-fighting kind of general. He was actively involved in some very recognizable Civil War battles. Shiloh. Chickamauga. Chattanooga. Lookout Mountain. He was regarded as a hero during 100 days of continuous fighting in the last Atlanta campaign.Today, nearly 250 years after American won its independence, his home at 606 S. 14th St. deserves a general-sized salute.Since 1902, it has served as home for the Henry County Historical Society Museum and is the oldest, most continuously operating facility of its kind in the state. The historical society itself is third-oldest in Indiana.It is truly a hidden jewel. The home just oozes with stories of heroism, leadership, visionaries and fantastic dreams that came true.Walk into the main museum area, and a whirlwind of industry, mystery, inspiration and nostalgia greet you. You immediately see a Jesse French piano, the kind that was made here and shipped all over the world.Turn and walk toward the back of the room, and you are greeted by Gen. Grose himself and his dear wife, Rebecca. The paintings are in the same place today that they were when first hung in the mansion.They are just two of many pictures that paint a thousand words right before your eyes. Inspiration. Courage. Wonder.Inspiration and courage glistens off of the military medals won by Gen. Omar Bundy, a New Castle native who is now buried in Arlington National Cemetery.He stood only 5 feet, five inches tall. But Gen. Omar Bundy was credited by some for turning the tide against the Germans in World War I. Bundy became known as the hero of Belleau Wood after he and his troops stopped the German advance in its last great offensive of the war. Bundy defied orders to retreat, a bold move the Indianapolis Star reported “in all probability saved Paris from capture at the hands of the Germans.”“None of our soldiers would understand not being asked to do whatever is necessary to reestablish a situation which is humiliating to us and unacceptable to our country’s honor. We are going to counter-attack.”onder as in, I wonder how Thaddeus Coffin made this beautiful desk, containing more than 56,000 pieces of wood, with essentially just one hand. Coffin was the architect of the Grose home, but the desk, which includes a piece of wood from a carriage Abraham Lincoln once rode in, is almost as equally impressive.Wonder as in, how did they build such a beautiful courthouse with such ordinary tools. Some of the tools used in constructing the 1869 marvel are on display in the museum.Wonder, as in if this canteen could talk, what stories would it tell? It’s from the Revolutionary War.Inspiration, as you see a Maxwell automobile, authentic Hoosier Kitchen Cabinets, and an old-fashioned bicycle – all of which were manufactured right here in New Castle.We invite you to visit the Henry County Historical Society Museum. Call 529-4028 to schedule tours or get genealogy questions answered by director Kaye Ford.BASKETBALL LIVES HEREThis Day In Henry County history is brought to you by Destination Henry County Indiana. Discover slam dunk experiences at www.HoopsInHenry.com.Visit the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/VisitHenryCounty.com.HELP US PRESERVE COMMUNITY HISTORYPlease join the Henry County Historical Society with a $25 annual membership. Visit our website at www.henrycountymuseum.orgCOME SEE US!We're open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day and ANYTIME by appointment. Call us at 765-529-4028 or 765-524-0530. ... See MoreSee Less

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Henry County Historical Society, Inc

1 week ago

On this day in Henry County history, June 21, 1986, New Castle's Rodney Haynes scored six points in the Indiana-Kentucky High School All-Star basketball game at Freedom Hall in Louisville, Ky.Haynes is one of 14 New Castle boys basketball players named to the Indiana All-Star team. The others are Warren Lewis (1940), Marshall Koontz (1941), Charles McMillan (1944), Jerry Ellis (1950), Ray Pavy (1959), Butch Joyner (1963), Scott Sinnock (1964), Kent Benson (1973), Steve Alford (1983), Zach Hahn (2007), Chase Stigall (2008), Luke Bumbalough (2019) and Mason Gillis (honorary 2019).Haynes scored 1,319 points in his Trojan basketball career and ranks 21st on the all-time Henry County scoring list. He cut down championship nets on six different occasions wearing a Trojan uniform.BASKETBALL LIVES HEREThis Day In Henry County history is brought to you by Destination Henry County Indiana. Discover slam dunk experiences at www.HoopsInHenry.com.Visit the Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/VisitHenryCounty.com.HELP US PRESERVE COMMUNITY HISTORYPlease join the Henry County Historical Society with a $25 annual membership. Visit our website at www.henrycountymuseum.orgCOME SEE US!We're open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day and ANYTIME by appointment. Call us at 765-529-4028 or 765-524-0530. ... See MoreSee Less

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