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| Entrance to the Greentown Glass Museum |
If you love beautiful early
American pattern glass and glass history, the Greentown Glass Museum has a
wonderful display of glass made by the Indiana Tumbler and Goblet Company
and the knowledgeable docents at the museum will give you an interesting
history lesson.
Greentown is a small town with a population of about 2300 people
located about 9 miles east of Kokomo (another must see). A Native American
Indian village existed on the site that is the town of Greentown today. In
1848, the people living in the area needed a trading post and they decided that
Greentown was a good central location. No one actually knows where the
name Greentown came from, but several theories have been tossed about; the
Native American chief was called Green, the township was named Green
Township, or maybe just because it’s a beautiful green area.
A Brief History of The Indiana Tumbler and Goblet Company
The
residents of Greentown were interested in developing manufacturing in the area
and there was a good supply of natural gas, workers, and investment money.
Construction began in March, 1894 on The Indiana Tumbler and Goblet Company and
the main factory was quickly completed. Glassmaking began in June, 1894.
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| Indiana Tumbler and Goblet Company |
The
company was successful and expanded rapidly first making only crystal clear
glass but by 1898 adding lovely colors of teal blue, opaque white, vaseline,
cobalt blue, emerald green, and amber.
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| Number
11 Iced Tea Tumbler and Mold |
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| Amber
Dewey Cruet |
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| Display case at the Greentown Glass Museum
showing cruet sets in different colors. |
A
talented glass chemist, Jacob Rosenthal, joined the company in 1900 and his new
chocolate glass became a big hit in the glass market
He
also developed an opaque green glass called Nile Green but he is probably most
famous for his Golden Agate glass. Today his unique and innovated glass is
highly sought after by glass collectors and demand a fairly high price.
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| Golden Agate or Holly Amber Toothpick Holder |
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| Display case showing Nile Green & Holly Amber |
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The Indiana Tumbler and Goblet Company burnt to
the ground on a Saturday morning, June 13, 1903. Although there were some
attempts to rebuild the factory during the next couple of years, the idea was
abandoned due to lawsuits, problems with the natural gas supply and lack of
financial support. This company made beautiful glass for
only nine years but today it is remember for its outstanding contribution to
glass innovation and design.
Display cabinets showing patterns, colors and novelty pieces of Greentown
glass.
The Greentown Glass Museum has
preserved the glass and the history of the Indiana Tumbler and Goblet Company.
Today, the National Greentown Glass Association, www.greentownglass.org is dedicated to
preserving, collecting, educating, and disseminating information about the
Indiana Tumbler and Goblet Company. Every year in June, Greentown glass
collectors meet to attend educational lectures, an auction, an antique show,
and share their enthusiasm for Greentown glass with fellow collectors.
It's a great place to visit........you should go.
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