A Hoosier Cabinet Story

  

A      Hoosier      Cabinet


                      Story

From 1920-ish  to 2020.

100 years of food preparation

history recorded in the 

woodgrain. 

What stories could it whisper to us? 

     In the 1890s, in North East Indiana,  a free standing kitchen cupboard was designed by a man named James McQuinn.   He designed it for a housewife named Mrs. Brewster who asked him for a baker's cabinet.  It became known as the "step saver" cabinet and was also called the "Hoosier Cabinet".  By the early 1900's it was a very popular item in kitchens until the 1930's, when built in kitchen cabinets became popular.  One of these old hoosier cabinets was purchased approximately 45 years later, around 1975,  at a garage sale in Northwest Indiana for $35.   The sale was held in an old house with a store front that was at one time a neighborhood food store for things like milk and bread.  My aunt purchased it and the  garage sale free standing kitchen cabinet was moved to her basement and used for tool storage until about 2006 or so.  At that time we loaded it into my little black Suzuki Aero car and I drove it to my condo in North East Indiana, where it sat in my garage, filled with catch all items,  until December 2013.  In December of 2013 it was loaded into a U-Haul trailer and moved to South West Ohio and placed in our pole barn. At which point it promptly was filled with assorted junk.   

   Then in the winter of 2018 a friend mentioned the need of a project.  After a lengthy discussion, it was decided that in the summer when his garage area could be open to provide adequate ventilation we would transfer the cabinet in sections to his home where he would work on it.  For three summers, with the help of his "mamaw and papaw" (who are expert antique furniture refinishers)  the old Hoosier Cupboard was restored to a new life.  

Each spring various pieces would be hauled from our home to his and each fall they would be brought home.  Some summers required switching  items throughout the summer.   Hours of work by my friend and his grandparents resulted in my beautiful "new" antique cupboard being delivered to my home last week!  Although the brackets still need applied that secure the top to the bottom (my husband will find time soon) so that I can fill it up, I wanted to take some pictures and post about my hoosier cabinet.  I am so thrilled and excited for it to be home.  I just love it and appreciate all the work that went into it by so many people.  My friend and his grandparents who did all the hard work,  my step daughter and her fiance' who lugged pieces back and forth each spring and fall, my step grandsons who delivered the finished product to me this past week, and my husband that has been very patient although bewildered at my love for this old piece of furniture, have all been a part of this wonderful acomplishment.  

To read more about the history of Hoosier Cabinets click HERE,  and HERE and HERE and HERE .  

and enjoy the videos that follow