Image: Hillstrom Organ Company Employees, August 24, 1895. Courtesy of the Westchester Township History Museum.
Hillstrom Organ Works
Open through April 26, 2026
From 1880 to 1896, Swedish immigrant Charles Oscar Hillstrom ran one of Porter County’s most successful businesses: Hillstrom Organ Works. The company’s Chesterton factory produced an estimated 40,000 reed organs over its years of operation. During peak production, half of the workers crafting those organs were Swedish immigrants, drawn to the area by employment at the factory. Hillstrom Organ Works quickly established itself as the economic pride of Chesterton as it shipped its instruments across the United States and around the world.
About the Robert Cain Gallery
The Robert Cain Gallery honors M. Robert “Rob” Cain (1930-2022), a lifelong Valparaiso resident and beloved Valparaiso High School art teacher. In 2014, Cain participated in the dedication of the Robert Cain Gallery in our former location at 153 Franklin Street in Valparaiso. The naming was made possible by a special gift from Joanne & Dan Urschel, whose family members were inspired by Cain from their time in his classroom.
Rob Cain (right) during the gallery dedication in 2014.