July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Museum needs a few corrections (5/29/03)
Opinion
Handsome as the new Indiana State Museum is, it’s not perfect.
As more than one Jay County visitor to the new facility in downtown Indianapolis has mentioned, there are at least one error and one oversight that deserve correction.
Both involve favorite sons.
The first, and most glaring, is a display on automotive pioneer Elwood Haynes which wrongly states that he was born in Kokomo. As any student of local history can tell you, Elwood Haynes was born in Portland. He was one of the sons of Judge Jacob M. Haynes, for whom an elementary school and a city park are named.
Elwood Haynes taught locally, was principal of Portland High School at one point, and after the discovery of natural gas was head of the local gas company. He was lured away to Kokomo during the Gas Boom era.
The oversight is in a “hall of fame” portion of the museum. It rightly notes the achievements of dancer/choreographer Twyla Tharp, who was born at Jay County Hospital and whose family lived in Dunkirk before moving to California. But Jack Imel, known to millions for his weekly performances on the Lawrence Welk Show during the 1950s and 1960s, has so far been overlooked by the museum’s gatekeepers.
The good news is that museum staff members say they want to hear about things like this. They’re busily collecting reported corrections and oversights so adjustments can be made in the future.
The simplest way to let them know these things matter to the folks in Jay County is to send them an e-mail — [email protected] — and express your opinion.
It’s a great new museum, and those involved welcome the chance to make it better. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]
As more than one Jay County visitor to the new facility in downtown Indianapolis has mentioned, there are at least one error and one oversight that deserve correction.
Both involve favorite sons.
The first, and most glaring, is a display on automotive pioneer Elwood Haynes which wrongly states that he was born in Kokomo. As any student of local history can tell you, Elwood Haynes was born in Portland. He was one of the sons of Judge Jacob M. Haynes, for whom an elementary school and a city park are named.
Elwood Haynes taught locally, was principal of Portland High School at one point, and after the discovery of natural gas was head of the local gas company. He was lured away to Kokomo during the Gas Boom era.
The oversight is in a “hall of fame” portion of the museum. It rightly notes the achievements of dancer/choreographer Twyla Tharp, who was born at Jay County Hospital and whose family lived in Dunkirk before moving to California. But Jack Imel, known to millions for his weekly performances on the Lawrence Welk Show during the 1950s and 1960s, has so far been overlooked by the museum’s gatekeepers.
The good news is that museum staff members say they want to hear about things like this. They’re busily collecting reported corrections and oversights so adjustments can be made in the future.
The simplest way to let them know these things matter to the folks in Jay County is to send them an e-mail — [email protected] — and express your opinion.
It’s a great new museum, and those involved welcome the chance to make it better. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]
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