Who made the first Hoosier cabinet?
Sellers, a company originally based in Elwood, Indiana, is thought to be the first company to make a Hoosier-style cabinetin 1898. Up until the 1930s and 1940s, there were dozens of manufacturers cranking out these massive pieces of essential kitchen furniture.
How many houses in the US have Hoosier cabinets?
Given that there were approximately 20 million households in the US at that time, as much as 10% of homes had Hoosier cabinets made by Hoosier Manufacturing, and an additional unknown quantity had Hoosier cabinets made by competing companies. Hoosier cabinets remained popular until the 1920s.
What are antique Hoosier cabinets made of?
Wood Used – Antique Hoosier cabinets were made from different types of woods, with the most common ones being oak, pine, white maple and walnut. Those made of oak or walnut tend to be valued higher than those made from pine.
What era are Hoosier cabinets from?
Hoosier cabinets were made mostly from the late 1890s through the 1930s, reaching their peak in popularity during the 1920s. The major manufacturers of Hoosier cabinets at that time were located in Indiana.
What is a Hoosier cabinet worth?
The value of a Hoosier cabinet is determined largely by the condition of the piece and the presence of the original accessories. While all-wood examples in perfect condition can fetch nearly $2,000, those requiring some restoration work may cost as little as $200.
When were sellers Hoosier cabinets made?
1898The first Hoosier-style cabinet was made by a furniture manufacturing company named Sellers in 1898 in Elwood, Indiana.
How can you tell a real Hoosier cabinet?
How to Identify a Hoosier CabinetLook for the hallmark three-compartment design: a deep lower cabinet, a porcelain workspace in the middle and a shallow upper cabinet. ... Check the drawers immediately above or below the workspace (usually on either end of the cabinet) to see if they are lined with tin.More items...
Are Hoosier cabinets still made?
Hoosier cabinets are no longer mass-produced.
How do you clean an old Hoosier cabinet?
0:3213:26Restoring/Cleaning A Hoosier Cabinet - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipEspecially if you have a lot of natural wood furniture. And things around and it's this Murphy's OilMoreEspecially if you have a lot of natural wood furniture. And things around and it's this Murphy's Oil Soap.
What is the metal drawer in a Hoosier cabinet for?
Most Hoosier style cabinets had a bread drawer or bread box, and possibly a pastry drawer. These were metal drawers with a sliding, perforated lid. It kept the bread and baked goods fresh while keeping pests out.
What are old kitchen cabinets called?
Kitchen hutches are made of pine, oak or maple, although some later models are metal. Hutches, which first appeared in the 15th and 16th centuries, were commonly used for kitchen storage in the United States from the mid-19th century until the 1920s.
How do you refinish a Hoosier cabinet?
How to Refinish a Hoosier CabinetRemove all drawers from your Hoosier cabinet. ... Paint over the wood with a liquid paint stripper. ... Remove any remaining finish using a medium-grade steel wool. ... Scrub the wood with a rag soaked in grain filler, if your Hoosier cabinet consists of a wide, open-grain structure.More items...
Why is a Hoosier cabinet called a Hoosier cabinet?
The cabinet got its name because most of them were made in Indiana. The first Hoosier cabinets appeared in 1898, created by a furniture company called Sellers, in New Castle, Indiana. Popularity of the cabinet grew up until the late 1940's when the records for the cabinets became scarce.
Who manufactured Hoosier cabinets?
Coppes Napanee was a well-known manufacturer of Hoosier cabinets, along with other major producers like the Hoosier Manufacturing Co., and built them for almost 40 years.
What does the word Hoosier mean?
Joseph Wright derived Hoosier from an Indian word for corn, "hoosa." Indiana flatboatmen taking corn or maize to New Orleans came to be known as "hoosa men" or Hoosiers.
How do you restore a Hoosier cabinet?
How to Refinish a Hoosier CabinetRemove all drawers from your Hoosier cabinet. ... Paint over the wood with a liquid paint stripper. ... Remove any remaining finish using a medium-grade steel wool. ... Scrub the wood with a rag soaked in grain filler, if your Hoosier cabinet consists of a wide, open-grain structure.More items...
What does the word Hoosier mean?
Joseph Wright derived Hoosier from an Indian word for corn, "hoosa." Indiana flatboatmen taking corn or maize to New Orleans came to be known as "hoosa men" or Hoosiers.
What is a Hoosier mascot?
IU's longest running Hoosier mascot was the bison (pictured above), chosen in October 1965 by IU's student senate and inspired by the bison on the state seal of Indiana. In fact, the bison was chosen for IU's mascot around the same time it became the logo for Nick's English Hut in Bloomington.
Why is Indiana called the Hoosier state?
in his 1907 book “The Word Hoosier.” Noting that numerous immigrants from the Cumberland region of England settled in the southern mountains of Indiana, Dunn traced the nickname for those highland dwellers back to the word “hoozer” in the Cumbrian dialect, which derived from the Old English “hoo,” meaning “high” and “ ...
Where were hoosier cabinets made?
So, what does the term have to do with the Hoosier cabinet? The cabinet got its name because most of them were made in Indiana. The first Hoosier cabinets appeared in 1898, created by a furniture company called Sellers, in New Castle, Indiana . Popularity of the cabinet grew up until the late 1940’s when the records for the cabinets became scarce.
What is a hoosier cabinet?
This modern Hoosier cabinet was designed by PKsurroundings. The modern storage cabinet includes shelves for organizing jars, spices and staple products. There is also a built-in prep sink that includes a garbage disposal. Outlets are incorporated on the walls for small appliances like a blender or electric mixer. The cabinet area provides a sense of separation from the rest of the kitchen, allowing multiple chefs to be cooking and prepping at the same time! Even though the storage space is beautiful to look at, it is all hidden behind custom sliding cabinet doors by Kountry Kraft.
What Does “Hoosier” Mean?
The word Hoosier has been tied to the state of Indiana for over 150 years. There are several theories about its origin, one of them involves people yelling “who’s there?” across the river and the other is of a man who lost his ear in a bar fight and someone unfortunately picked it up and asked, “whos ear?” Both circumstances sound similar to the term “Hoosier”.
What was the most popular cabinet in the 1920s?
A true must have of a 1920’s kitchen was the hoosier cabinet . The idea built behind this popular cabinet was that a worker is only as efficient as her workplace. This cabinet was so much more than just a storage cabinet, it included storage, appliances and much more!
Where were hoosier cabinets made?
The major manufacturers of Hoosier cabinets at that time were located in Indiana. Hoosier Manufacturing was the largest.
When did hoosier cabinets become popular?
They peaked in popularity in the 1920s, then declined as homes began to be constructed with built-in kitchen cabinets and counter tops.
How many Hoosier cabinets were sold in 1920?
In 1916, the company sold its one millionth Hoosier Cabinet and was clearly the leader in free-standing kitchen cabinets. By 1920, two million had been sold. During its peak years, the company produced nearly 700 cabinets per day, and was the largest manufacturer of kitchen cabinets in the United States.
What were the Coppes brothers' business?
Earlier, the Coppes brothers had a sawmill business, a box manufacturing factory, and a furniture manufacturing company. An Indiana inspection report for 1913 described their company (named Coppes, Zook, and Mutschler Co. at that time) as a "saw mill, etc." and having 178 employees in a town with a population of 2,260. Right before the Great Depression started, the company began manufacturing built-in kitchen cabinets. This product was very successful, and continued for many years after the demise of the Hoosier cabinets. The Coppes Napanee company remains in business to this day and is the longest-continuously-operating cabinet manufacturer in the United States.
How wide are Hoosier cabinets?
The majority of the Hoosier cabinets are about 48 inches (120 cm) wide by 22 inches (56 cm) deep by 72 inches (180 cm) high. In addition to their storage capacity, they offer about 40 inches (100 cm) of work space that was not available in the standard kitchen of the early 20th century other than the kitchen table. A distinctive feature of the Hoosier cabinet is its many moving parts and accessories. As originally supplied, they were equipped with various racks and other hardware to hold and organize spices and various staples. One particularly distinctive item is the combination flour-bin/sifter, a hopper that could be used without having to remove it from the cabinet. A similar sugar bin was also common. Additional accessories and innovations were added over the years. Special glass jars were manufactured to fit the cabinet and its racks. Original sets of Hoosier glassware consisted of coffee and tea canisters, a salt box, and four to eight spice jars. Some manufacturers also included a cracker jar. Colored glassware, ant-proof casters, and even ironing boards were innovations added later. Later models even included cards with reminders for grocery shopping and tips for meal planning.
What are the strengths of Hoosier Manufacturing?
In addition to its product, Hoosier Manufacturing's success can be attributed to its strengths in advertising, distribution, and manufacturing . Hoosier Manufacturing created its own dealer network, since some furniture dealers were not fond of a product that competed with their wares. In cases where they had no dealer, products were sold directly from the factory. The company was also a strong believer in advertising. Advertising was conducted in newspapers and national magazines such as Ladies' Home Journal and The Saturday Evening Post, where the reader was likely to be a woman. In 1903, the company began streamlining its manufacturing process by using interchangeable hardware, standardizing its products, and using an assembly line. The employee responsible for these innovations, Harry Hall, was also granted patents related to innovations for the cabinet and for a safety apparatus.
What was the original set of Hoosier glassware?
Original sets of Hoosier glassware consisted of coffee and tea canisters, a salt box, and four to eight spice jars. Some manufacturers also included a cracker jar.
Where did the Hoosier cabinet get its name?
These two theories sound quite similar to each other. The Hoosier cabinet got its name from the state of Indiana because that’s where they were made. Hoosier cabinets first appeared on the market in 1898, created by the Hoosier Manufacturing Company, which was popularly known for making furniture.
How many Hoosier cabinets were sold in 1920?
This is where the Hoosier cabinet got its name, which became a generic term for this kind of furniture. By the year 1920, the company had sold 2 million cabinets in the United States. The cabinets were also manufactured by other companies, mostly from the Hoosier State or surrounding areas.
Why Is It Called the Hoosier Cabinet?
There are several theories to the origin of the word Hoosier. The first meaning is that it involves someone yelling, “Who’s there?”
What Are Hoosier Cabinets Worth?
So, what’s the value of Hoosier cabinets? This is a question that a lot of people ask. Since this is an antique cabinet , it depends on the one you want to buy or sell. The availability of accessories is also essential when buying or selling the cabinet.
Why are hoosier cabinets declining?
In the late 1930s, Hoosier cabinets began declining in popularity because new houses started to include built-in kitchen cabinetry. When this started happening, the cabinets’ sales dropped, and in 1942, the Hoosier Manufacturing Company was sold and liquidated. Hoosier cabinets are only valued by antique collectors nowadays.
What was the solution to the problem in most houses that existed back in the 1900s?
The solution they came up with was to manufacture cabinets that would act as built-in cabinetry for homes.
How to identify a hoosier cabinet?
To identify a Hoosier cabinet, you first need to know about its features to better differentiate it from others. The first thing to look for is the hallmark three-compartment design included in a Hoos ier cabinet. That includes its porcelain workspace, shallow upper cabinet, and deep lower cabinet.
Overview
Major manufacturers
Hoosier cabinets were made mostly from the late 1890s through the 1930s, reaching their peak in popularity during the 1920s. The major manufacturers of Hoosier cabinets at that time were located in Indiana. Hoosier Manufacturing was the largest.
The company began as Campbell & Smith in 1892, and it was primarily a lumbe…
Background
From 1890 to 1930, more houses were built in the United States than all of the country's prior years combined. Very few homes had built-in kitchen cabinets during the 19th century, and it was not until the late 1920s that built-in cabinets became a standard kitchen furnishing.
Around the 1890s, several furniture manufacturers in Indiana discovered that …
Features
A Hoosier cabinet is a stand-alone kitchen cabinet, often on small casters. It is considered an improved version of a baker's cabinet. A baker's cabinet is a table with one or more bins underneath. It has a small work surface and a shallower upper section on top of the table that was used for storing bowls, pans, and kitchen utensils. The Hoosier cabinet expands on the baker's cabinet by offeri…
Other manufacturers
Between 1899 and 1949, over 40 manufacturers of stand-alone kitchen cabinets are known to have existed, and 18 of them were located in Indiana. Many of these manufacturers had much smaller advertising budgets compared to the major manufacturers, and it can be difficult to find information about them. Factory inspectors for the state of Indiana list at least eight companies, in addition to the major manufacturers, as kitchen cabinet makers in Indiana in 1913. Those co…
Today
Hoosier cabinets can be found on display in museums such as the Henry Ford Museum, the Children's Museum of Indianapolis, and the Kentucky Museum. However, Hoosier cabinets are found in other places too. Numerous antique dealers and restoration companies are involved with Hoosiers because nostalgic homeowners want this piece of furniture in their home. People are al…
See also
• Hutch (furniture)
• Kitchen cabinet
• Welsh dresser
• Secretary desk
Notes
1. ^ A major manufacturer of glassware for Hoosier cabinets, and replacement sets, was Sneath Glass Company of Hartford City, Indiana. A Sneath sales brochure lists 11-piece and 10-piece Hoosier sets, and two types of crystal glass sugar bins.
2. ^ Hoosier Manufacturing advertised colored glassware and dishes for its Hoosier Beauty in the Saturday Evening Post in 1927. Sellers had ant-proof casters. Ironing boards were added by at least one manufacturer toward the end o…