Elkhart County Historical Museum

05/31/2026

Check out our upcoming programs at the ECHM for June 2026!

Streams of Power
Friday, June 5, 10 a.m.
$20/person
All ages welcome
Discover how water shaped Elkhart County's history! Explore the Saint Joseph River, a new exhibit at the Elkhart County Historical Museum, and a functioning 1830s water-powered flour mill. Engage your senses, taste local baked goods, and take home a souvenir water bottle and cornmeal! Click here to register by June 3: https://elkhartcountyparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=1914

St. Joseph River Kayak Trip
Saturday, June 6, 9 a.m.
$10/person (bring your own kayak), OR $40/person (to rent a kayak)
All ages welcome (under 18 must be accompanied by an adult)
Explore Elkhart County's largest waterway on a 2-hour kayak excursion from Congdon Park to Six Span Bridge! Learn about historical sites, ecosystems, and wildlife, and enjoy a sweet treat at the finish. Don't forget: life jackets required, rentals available, and pack sunscreen, sunglasses, water, and snacks! Click here to register by June 3: https://elkhartcountyparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=1827

Trail Running Club
Tuesday, June 9, 5:30 p.m.
Free admission
Ages 12+ (under 16 must be accompanied by an adult)
Lace up for a supported group run in a beautiful county park! Whether you’re new to running or a career track racer looking to head off-road, all levels are welcome. Together we’ll share tips, offer encouragement, and explore scenic trails. Before we head out we’ll cover a few historical notes about the park, giving context to our run. Click here to register by June 8: https://elkhartcountyparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=1830

The Our Waters Experience
Saturday, June 20, 11 a.m.
$5/person (ages 12 and under are free)
All ages welcome
Immerse yourself in the history and nature of Elkhart County’s waters. This multi-sensory tour will take you to the banks of the St. Joseph River and through the Museum’s newly opened Our Waters exhibit. Participants will hear Indigenous creation stories, connect with a local river environment, and learn how water has played a role in shaping human, plant, and animal lives in Elkhart County. Click here to register by June 19: https://elkhartcountyparks.recdesk.com/Community/Program/Detail?programId=1840

The Miami Origin Story
Tuesday, June 30, 7 p.m.
Free admission
All ages welcome
Dive into Indigenous history with Logan York, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma. Logan will share the Miami’s very first story and talk about its significance to Miami people today, including the role water plays in Miami culture. The program will take place at Island Park in Elkhart, an important site in early Miami history and confluence point of the St. Joseph and Elkhart Rivers. No registration required.

05/30/2026

Come paddle the St. Joe with Elkhart County Parks staff! Bring your own kayak or rent one from us (courtesy of Coyne Kayaks).
We set off from Congdon Park in Bristol on Saturday, June 6th at 9:00am. Find out more and register here: https://elkhartcountyparks.org/events/st-joseph-river-kayak-trip-6-6-26/

05/29/2026

📰🏡 It’s Flashback Friday with Michael, longtime volunteer at the ECHM! This week’s installment shows an Elkhart Truth article from Tuesday, May 2, 1923, which reports on a local woman who became a grandmother at the age of 32 and identifies her place of residence at 600 Middlebury Street in Elkhart, Indiana. The home still stands today, as you can see from the attached photo that Michael took in more recent times.

05/28/2026

🍔🐄 It’s National Hamburger Day! Many of us have fond memories of going out for a burger and fries with family and friends at a favorite local diner. This tradition reaches back around a hundred years in the Elkhart County area.

Archival research by ECHM staff has uncovered photographs of burger restaurants operating in downtown Elkhart, Indiana, during the 1920s and the 1940s:
*Keupee Hamburgs Hotel on the south side of Franklin Street (between Main Street and Second Street)
*Handy Dandy Hamburg Hotel on the east side of Second Street (between High Street and Franklin Street)
*The Checker Lunch at 203 North Main Street (with advertisements on the building for Burger in a Basket, Elkhart Ice Cream, and Wambaugh Milk)

05/27/2026

💧🌿👣 Today, museum staff went to Island Park in downtown Elkhart, Indiana, to prepare for a program about Indigenous history, which will be held Tuesday, June 30, at 7 p.m. Logan York, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, will be discussing the Miami tribe’s creation story and its significance to Miami people today, including the role water plays in Miami culture. Julie Parke, ECHM Director, took a few snapshots during the visit to Island Park, which we’ve attached to this post.

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, the ECHM honors the brave service members who made the ultimate sacrifice in duty to our country. Today, we will be spotlighting one of the five Elkhart County residents who lost their lives during the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7, 1941.

William Bonfiglio was born in Elkhart on June 23rd, 1910. He later moved to Brooklyn, New York with his wife Dorthy Roberta Bonfigilo. William enlisted in the U.S. Navy on August 5th, 1936 and served as an Electrician's Mate, First Class. He was responsible for repairing electrical equipment and standing watch in a ship’s main control room. In case of emergency, William was also in charge of applying first aid if a sailor suffered an electrical shock. William was onboard the USS Arizona the day of the attack. William was listed as missing in action and later declared deceased.

05/22/2026

Coming Saturday, June 6 - the St. Joe River Kayak Trip. Register now!

Paddle through the past and navigate through nature on this excursion down a stretch of Elkhart County’s largest waterway. We’ll begin our journey at Congdon Park in Bristol and float about 2 hours to Six Span Bridge at County Road 17. Along the way, learn about historical sites on the river and...

05/21/2026

Our 2026 Quilt Garden is in! Thanks to the Michiana Master Gardeners for their talents and hard work. Stop by and see the Log Cabin pattern and step inside the Museum to view a Log Cabin quilt from the collection - alongside our other temporary and permanent exhibits.

05/20/2026

🍓 It’s National Pick Strawberries Day! Do you have any childhood memories of picking fresh strawberries with your family? We went back into our archives and came across a photograph of Cathcart Strawberry Fields in Bristol, Indiana, around the year 1910, featuring the owner Frank Cathcart as well as some of the workers.

A typed card inside the slipcase over the image reads: "10 acres of strawberries with 100 cases picked per day just south of the railroad tracks in Bristol. Marsh hay from the Bardo marsh was placed between the rows and on the berries during frost time. Pickers received 1 1/2 cents per quart for picking. Some of those pictured: Frank Cathcart, owner, and his son Edgar; Thelma Hosler, Edna Menges, Ruth Sudborough, Sadie Keller, Eva Menges, Lottie Menges, Sarah Menges."

05/18/2026

🎶Complete the lyric: "Here's the mail, it never fails, it makes me want to . . ."

If you're old enough to remember this song from Blue's Clues, you might have a kiddo the perfect age (3-5) for Curiosity Club!

This Wednesday at 10am we'll meet to learn all about the mail and people who deliver it - just like these Bristol rural mail carriers in the photo below!

Join us for a story, snack, craft, and walk down to the Bristol Post Office to mail a letter!

Sign up here for $4/child: https://elkhartcountyparks.org/events/cc-mail-5-20-26/