Hillstrom Organ Company Employees, August 24, 1895. Courtesy of the Westchester Township History Museum.
Porter County Museum (PoCo Muse) will open an exhibit on February 19 that tells the story of the Hillstrom Organ Works, which produced the popular musical instruments at its Chesterton factory from 1880 to 1913. Founded by a Swedish immigrant from Chicago, the company became a major employer and played a key role in the Swedish community in northern Porter County.
“Swedish immigrant Charles Oscar Hillstrom learned to make organs while still in his home country,” said Executive Director Kevin Matthew Pazour. “Not long after arriving in Chicago, he founded the Hillstrom Organ Works. In 1880, Hillstrom moved his business to Chesterton, attracted by the availability of native trees for organ case construction and well-established railroad lines. The company became the economic pride of Chesterton. It produced some 40,000 reed organs over its years of operation, shipping them across the United States and around the world. Hillstrom even sent one to the King of Sweden as a gift.”
“We are proud to have a fine example of a Hillstrom organ in our collection,” said Hannah Sliekers, the museum’s Collections Fellow. “It will be the centerpiece of our exhibit. Hillstrom organs were popular with missionaries in diverse climates, because they were lightweight and asserted to be resistant to mildew and rodent infestation. Many churches and private homes in the United States boasted of a Hillstrom organ. Wherever one was found, it was considered a manifestation of beauty and faith.”
“While you’re at the museum, take the time to view our ongoing featured exhibition, From a Bailly Point ofView,” added Pazour. “It tells the story of the pioneer Bailly family through objects that they owned. Joseph Bailly, whose homestead is preserved at Indiana Dunes National Park, was the first Porter County settler of European descent. One of Bailly’s sons-in-law was instrumental in bringing Swedish immigrants, like Hillstrom and his workers, to Chesterton by selling land and offering employment opportunities.”
Swedish Immigrant Charles Oscar Hillstrom founded the organ company in 1880.
Porter County Museum, located at 20 Indiana Avenue in downtown Valparaiso, is open six days a week, Tuesday-Sunday, from 11am to 5pm, with free admission. Free half-hour guided tours are offered on the third Saturday of each month at 10am. For more information, visit pocomuse.org or find @pocomuse on social media.