Kitchens of the late 1800s had few, if any, built-in cabinets, making even the simplest of daily household chores difficult. In 1888 John Maring of Newcastle, Indiana found the solution to this problem by combining pieces from several existing cabinets made by the Hoosier Manufacturing Company. The end result was a compact work and storage unit which he fittingly named the Hoosier Cabinet.
Maring’s free standing cabinet/work station used a “baker’s cabinet” as its base but expanded the unit with a pullout work space, providing a sizeable area for baking and food preparation. Above the main base he added shelving for mixing bowls, pans and utensils and on the doors were shelves to hold canisters for spices and baking needs. Standard measurements were 48 inches wide by 22 inches deep by 72 inches high. As a bonus he installed flour bins/sifters and sugar bins that were able to remain stationary while in use. As could be expected, the response from the public was overwhelming.
By the time we entered the 1920s the Hoosier Manufacturing Company had sold over two million cabinets. Add to that the thousands sold by their competitors and it is safe to say that a Hoosier-style cabinet could be found in one out of every three homes in America. In fact they were considered such a time saving part of the “modern” kitchen that one manufacturer advertised their cabinet as “saving the homemaker on the average of 1,592 steps a day!” A hard statistic to prove, but no one challenged the claim.
The Hoosier Manufacturing Company led the way in the design and production of free standing kitchen cabinets but as demand grew other major companies in Indiana and neighboring states followed suit. Notable Indiana manufacturers included The Coppes Company, of Nappanee, McDougal Cabinet Company of Frankfort, Campbell-Smith-Ritchie of Lebanon, McDougall of Indianapolis, and G. I. Sellers and Sons located in of Elwood, Indiana.
Sales of the Hoosier Cabinet dropped drastically in the 1930s as built-in kitchen cabinets and countertops became standard features in new home construction. As a result, production ceased in 1942 at Hoosier Manufacturing and in 1950 G. I. Sellers and Sons closed its doors.
Many of these once popular cabinets found their way into garages and work shops where they deteriorated from exposure to the elements, unnoticed and unwanted. Then in the mid-1990s a handful of furniture restoration enthusiasts began to salvage and refurbish Hoosier Cabinets. Interest in them returned and by the time we entered the new millennium they had once again found an appreciative audience.
In a world where foreign imports flood our everyday lives, it is easy to overlook the quality craftsmanship of our forefathers. If you are fortunate enough to own pieces of Indiana antiquity, cherish them, care for them and share them with your children. They stand as a symbol pride in where we come from, and hope for where we are headed.
On August 26th the “antique world” lost one of its finest with the passing of Paul Wildridge. After retirement from many years at Ford in Indianapolis, he dedicated his time to the restoration of Hoosier Cabinets and was widely recognized throughout the midwest as on of the top in his field. This week’s column is dedicated to his vast knowledge, his fine craftsmanship and his dedication that saved many a piece of antiquity from being destroyed. He will be greatly missed. Until next time . . . Linda
Linda Kennett is a professional liquidation consultant specializing in down-sizing for seniors and the liquidation of estates and may be reached at 317-258-7835 or lkennett@indy.rr.com.
