Musings • February 2026

Now Available! PoCo Muse Magazine Issue No. 11

“In addition to supporting Chesterton’s economy, Swedish immigrants participated in the town’s community.”

The stories in this eleventh issue feature topics from our exhibit, "From a Bailly Point of View," giving particular attention to the county’s thriving Swedish immigrant community in the late nineteenth century.

One article spotlights Hillstrom Organ Works who manufactured musical instruments that left a lasting impact on the region’s industry and culture.

View the Digital Issue of PoCo Muse Magazine

P.S. — Mark your calendars for Thursday, February 19, for the opening of a small exhibit about Hillstrom Organ Works in the Robert Cain Gallery.

WHAT TO DO

Listen to History at Home

Beginning Saturday, January 3

On Sound Cloud and Spotify

Saturday Hours at Hebron’s Stagecoach Inn & Panhandle Depot

Every Saturday from 10am-2pm

127 N Main Street, Hebron, IN

Free and open to the public

Guided Museum Tour with Quinn

Saturday, February 14, 10am

PoCo Muse, 20 Indiana Avenue, Valparaiso, IN

No RSVP Required

Living History: Wintertime Trades

Saturday, February 21, 10am-2pm

PoCo Muse, 20 Indiana Avenue, Valparaiso, IN

No RSVP Required

WHAT TO SEE

From A Bailly Point of View

Open through April 26, 2026

Though Joseph Bailly looms large in the memory of Porter County as its first nonnative settler, the lives and work of three generations of Bailly women—Marie, Rose, and Frances—truly shaped the Bailly homestead and public perception of the family legacy.

The PoCo Muse believes objects tell stories, and our new featured exhibit, From a Bailly Point of View (expanded from a 2018 exhibit of the same name), looks closely at artifacts from our Bailly Family Collection to shed new light on their legacy in Porter County.

Eunice Slagle & Montague/Urschel Galleries

Selections from the Permanent Collection

Through February 15

This small exhibit features recent acquisitions and a selection of other noteworthy artworks from our permanent collection.

Robert Cain Gallery

Hillstrom Organ Works

Opens February 19

Hillstrom Organ Works manufactured organs between 1869 and 1912. The company moved from Chicago to Chesterton in 1880 and became one of the town’s main industries at the turn of the century.

Robert Cain Gallery

Lowenstine WWII Roll of Honor

The Lowenstine WWII Roll of Honor was displayed on the courthouse square from 1943 until 1973 in commemoration of the Valparaiso citizens who contributed to the war effort during World War II. It was installed in the PoCo Muse in December 2022.

MORE TO EXPLORE

Muse News: January through March 2026

Stay up-to-date with all that’s happening at the PoCo Muse by checking out our most recent newsletter, Muse News.

PoCo Muse Magazine: Issue No. 11

The digital version PoCo Muse Magazine is free to read for everyone. This issue features topics from our exhibit, "From a Bailly Point of View," giving particular attention to the county’s thriving Swedish immigrant community in the late nineteenth century.

Looking Back: February 1926

Each day on social media, the PoCo Muse looks back by featuring century-old historical excerpts selected from the Evening Messenger and Valparaiso Daily Vidette newspapers.

At the Intersection of Art & History

The 25-minute video slideshow called "At the Intersection of Art & History" presents highlights from our permanent art collection and spotlights a few common themes found in the artworks.

Detail of Hillstrom Organ, Style 300, circa 1880s, Albert Photographic, 2023; a holiday greeting card illustrated by Edna Agar, circa 1940s; the Stagecoach Inn at 127 N. Main Street in Hebron; Visitor Experience Manager Quinn Albert, Albert Photographic; living history Interpreters demonstrating maple sugaring at an outdoor program; cartes-de-visite souvenir album, circa 1869-1874; “Brenda Starr: Reporter,” by Dalia “Dale” Messick (1906-2005), watercolor and ink on paper, 1971; Hillstrom Organ Company Employees, August 24, 1895, courtesy of the Westchester Township History Museum; two unidentified men sitting on the courthouse square with a view of the Lowenstine WWII Roll of Honor in the background, circa 1968.