If you or your family have ever lived in Lawrence County, Indiana, this museum will be a delight! Local history, famous citizens, legends, musical instruments, civil war relics, pictures of how Bedford looked in the past, antiques and memorabilia from area schools that no longer exist: all here on the first floor, along with a gift shop.
On the second floor, there’s a small art gallery showcasing local talent and an extensive research library to learn about your Lawrence County ancestors and local history! It’s an excellent museum across the Courthouse, and parking is abundant!
If you or your family have ever lived in Lawrence County, Indiana, you owe it to yourself to visit the Lawrence County Museum of History. It is a treasure trove of Lawrence County memorabilia and a gold mine for anyone researching the area’s history or their ancestors. Let’s step inside and see what it’s all about.
At the front is a gift shop containing tons of great Southern Indiana souvenirs and gifts. But if you’re researching local family history, you will gravitate to the center section. These reasonably priced books are worth their weight in gold and huge time savers. They detail who’s buried in the cemeteries, have pictures of gravestones, and often obituaries from old newspapers.
Just past the gift shop, on the right is the main museum gallery, and to the left of the gallery door is an exciting display in the window. This is the Lois Wiley Doll Collection of the First Ladies of the United States from Martha Washington to the present day. All the president’s wives are represented with knitted outfits to resemble what they wore on inauguration day. After Lois Wiley passed away, her daughter Ruth Godsey donated the collection. Rowena Cross Najafi has maintained the tradition of knitting new dresses for each new First Lady.
The gallery entrance pulls you in like a magnet with many things to see, from prehistoric times to Lawrence County’s three astronauts. This museum will take some time if you read the small and engaging details, so come early and give yourself some time to enjoy it.
Immediately catching my attention were the school letterman jackets. Here, you’ll find artifacts from the many high schools that no longer exist—Olytic, Hiltonville, and Tunnelton—so many bittersweet memories for former students. Take a look at these school spirit skirts and pants. You can still sense the excitement of being young and rooting for your school to win against the other team.
If you love geology, you’ll be interested in both the minerals and fossils the museum has on display, as Lawrence County is the limestone capital of the world. It’s only fitting to have examples of fine limestone cutting, showcasing the ancient limestone beds. What impressed me the most was this chain carved entirely from one piece of limestone. I can only imagine the time, skill, and patience it took to create.
Before Europeans passed through the area in the 18th century, Lawrence County was also the home of very ancient mound-building people. Ancient prehistoric mounds have been found at Old Palestine and two miles east of Huron, now called the Connelly Mounds. Native Americans also inhabited the area until the early 1800s. To this day, Lawrence County residents still find arrowheads in their yards and fields.
Once Indiana became a state in 1816, many pioneers moved to what became Lawrence County. They brought European ways, culture, technology, and architecture to the area. In Lawrence County, nowhere demonstrates that better than the Pioneer Village at Spring Mill State Park.
The Lawrence County Museum of History has scale recreations of the mill and several other buildings. The museum displays items from the Civil War era. During the Civil War, Lawrence County was home to Camp Lawrence, which both trained Union soldiers and served as a military prison for Confederate POWs. Lawrence County residents have fought in all our nation’s wars. They are honored here with their uniforms and weapons.
One of the most cherished items in the museum is the large oil painting of Harley Halbert Pope by artist Willie Fryer. Harley Pope, born in Mitchell, Indiana, lived in Bedford and became an early aviator for the US Army. During an aerial mapping mission on January 7, 1919, his airplane malfunctioned, crashing into a bridge in North Carolina, killing Harley Pope and Sergeant Walter Fleming. Harley was only 39 years old. Pope Air Force Base in North Carolina was named after Lieutenant Pope.
You can find many exciting curiosities at the museum, from beautiful antiques of many kinds to early technology such as this TV. Musical instruments, old stereos with a turntable and 8-track, textiles, toys, political artifacts—even have the Fort Ritner mailboxes where mail was sorted at the old Fort Ritner post office.
Many people don’t know that Lawrence County residents had a part in establishing the American Red Cross. The founder of the American Red Cross, Clara Barton, had a secretary named Ann Nola Lee. Angola married Bedford resident Dr. Joseph Gardner, and he worked with Clara to help soldiers during the Spanish-American War. Their home in Bedford later became the Red Cross Farm.
And here’s a fun fact: Bedford City Hall was once owned by Dr. Gardner. Then there’s the death crown. There is a documented phenomenon: if a person dies while lying on a feather pillow, it creates a circular crown of feathers. I had never heard of this before, and the museum has many on display.
There’s a section about Lawrence County’s three famous astronauts: Gus Grissom, Kenneth Bowersox, and Charles Walker. From a small town to the world stage, they stepped forward to further America’s space program. Gus Grissom even gave his life for it.
Finally, there’s the Forrest “Bud” Isaacs collection. Born in Bedford in 1928, he mastered the steel guitar. He went on to become a prominent Nashville recording artist and a member of the Grand Ole Opry. His playing on the 1954 song “Slowly” catapulted it to number one on the country charts for 17 weeks. Some even credit his playing on that song as the reason the steel guitar is a staple of country music today.
Just beyond the museum gallery is the meeting room. If it’s not in use, it’s worth a peek inside. On the far left wall are drawings of how Bedford Square used to look in days gone by. How many remember JCPenney when it was on the square or how brightly the Buck Lemon store looked at night? How many can remember shopping at the Woolworth department store, or who can remember when the tallest building in town was called Citizens Bank and how tall the ceilings were in that grand old building?
On the opposite wall are some great aerial photos. One shows the road into Bedford; looking closely, you can see Green Hill Cemetery. What about downtown Bedford in the 1960s? So much has changed while some things stay the same.
Upstairs is a gallery of local artwork. I was fascinated by how these golf balls turned into art. As you leave the gallery, admire the photo of the massive Bedford limestone columns; they were transported to Washington, DC, in 1935 to support the National Archives Building.
The focus of the second floor is the Hutton Research Library. This is a beautiful library for researching local history and family genealogy. Be sure to look up and admire the beautiful ceiling. Family history lines the walls, and you can find a variety of archival documents. My favorite room is in one corner, a cozy place to read and watch a DVD.
In the corner and without much fanfare is a cabinet that once stood in the home of Winthrop Foot, the father of Lawrence County’s limestone industry. As you walk around the research room, notice the small displays on each file cabinet.
The Lawrence County Museum of History and Edward Hutton Research Library are places where the past is preserved for generations.
