Hoosier cabinet
Some of the larger manufacturers were Campbell-Smith-Ritchie (Boone); Coppes Brothers and Zook (the Napanee); McDougall Company; and G. I.
Hoosier cabinets evolved over the years to include more accessories and innovations that made life easier for cooks in the kitchen.
They peaked in popularity in the 1920s, then declined as homes began to be constructed with built-in kitchen cabinets and counter tops.
By then houses were being built with modern kitchens that included built-in cabinets, counter tops, and other fixtures.
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.
[10] The base section usually has one large compartment with the slide-out shelf covered in metal that offers more workspace, and several drawers to one side.
Original sets of Hoosier glassware consisted of coffee and tea canisters, a salt box, and four to eight spice jars.
[Note 1] Colored glassware, ant-proof casters, and even ironing boards were innovations added later.
[Note 2] Later models even included cards with reminders for grocery shopping and tips for meal planning.
[20] The company responded by cutting back on employee hours and diversifying into built-in kitchen cabinets and breakfast dining sets.
Their manufacturing facility was located in Nappanee, Indiana, and their Hoosier cabinet brand name was the Napanee Dutch Kitchenet (spelled with only one "p").
[22] Using data from a study by a famous efficiency engineer (Harrington Emerson), the company claimed that their product could save 1,592 steps per day.
The Coppes Napanee company remains in business to this day and is the longest-continuously-operating cabinet manufacturer in the United States.
However, the Hoosier Cabinet had "meticulously organized interior storage", which enabled it to serve as a kitchen workstation with all the necessary equipment and material within arm's reach.
At that time, the owners decided to restart in New Castle, Indiana, which is located about 25 miles (40 km) south of Albany.
[27] A profile of the McQuinns from a 1902 publication discussed the New Castle facility, and said that the "output of the factory now amounts to nearly 200 complete kitchen cabinets per week, and sales are made of the article in every state in the Union, and many foreign countries.
[Note 4] 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.
[35][36] In 1903, the company began streamlining its manufacturing process by using interchangeable hardware, standardizing its products, and using an assembly line.
[Note 5] By 1913, Hoosier Manufacturing, listed as a furniture maker by Indiana factory inspectors, had 470 employees.
George's son Charles traveled to learn more about the furniture business, and persuaded his father to equip their kitchen tables with flour bins—a product that eventually became known as baker's cabinets.
[48] By 1913, the Sellers plant employed 99 people, making it the second largest factory (based on employees) in Elwood.
[49] Among features Sellers promoted were an automatic lowering flour bin, glass drawer pulls, hand-rubbed finish on oak, and ant-proof casters.
In the early 1930s, coloring was featured, and new products were sold such as built-in kitchen cabinets and breakfast sets.
During World War II, the company had difficulty acquiring raw materials and employing skilled workers.
Numerous antique dealers and restoration companies are involved with Hoosiers because nostalgic homeowners want this piece of furniture in their home.
[94] One author credits the work of Philip and Phyllis Kennedy for boosting the popularity of Hoosier cabinets.
[95] In a 1999 book, another author discussing the Hoosier cabinet mentioned that some cooks are "scouring antique stores, farm auctions, and flea markets for this unique, and still useful, piece of Americana.
Some of the accessories, such as the flour sifters and the spice jars made by Sneath Glass also sell quickly.
A hundred years after their rise to prominence, restored originals and recent reproductions have become cherished objects in many a home.
"[97] "The cabinets' sheer eccentricity, combined with their attractiveness as historic artifacts, has earned them a following equal to that of any group of collectors.
