Ohio County Historical Museum
Visitors to the Ohio County Historical Museum in Rising Sun, Indiana will find the racing hydroplanes Hoosier Boy and Hoosier Girl on display. Housed in their own room, the boats competed during the 1920's. The boat featured a 400 horsepower, 12- cylinder Liberty aircraft. The Hoosier Boy's record of 267 minutes and forty-nine seconds to cover the river mile round trip distance of 267 miles between Cincinnati, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky has never been beaten. The boat became a legend of river racing on the Ohio River. The museum's displays and signage relates the fascinating history of the boats and the Laughery Club.
John William (J.W., "Row") Whitlock (May 2, 1871 - August 25, 1935)
The son of William Henry Whitlock, J. W. was native to Rising Sun, Indiana. J. W. spent his early years working in his father's sawmill, wood working shop and boat yard businesses. J. W. had a flair for designing and building machinery, inventing various devices during his lifetime. One of his first inventions was an automatic harp, built between 1894 and 1899. In 1900, he established a company to build this device, which was the forerunner of the jukebox. In 1907, he started designing and building racing boats. He invented a new type of gasoline engine, establishing a company to manufacture it in 1913. A year later, he founded the J.W. Whitlock Furniture Company, which manufactured chairs. Other inventions included a new type of phonograph, a machine tool, a woodworking tool, and an automatic record changer for phonographs.
Laughery Club
Whitlock purchased the Laughery Club in 1926. The 30-acre property had become dilapidated and run down. Whitlock remodeled and enlarged it, converting it to a luxury hotel resort that attracted well-to-do people from Cincinnati and other area. Laughery Island's sand beach became a popular place for bathing and swimming. The lavish club hosted live entertainment for its guests. The Whitlock family operated the hotel until the Flood of 1937 destroyed it.
Ohio County Historical Museum
The Ohio County Historical Society formed in 1968 and opened their museum in 1972. The museum building is a former plow factory that operated during the Nineteenth Century. Residents of Ohio County have donated most of the photos, artifacts and documents. The museum's displays depict the heritage of this early Ohio River Valley community. Many of the displays depict the area's agricultural heritage, using Nineteenth Century farm equipment to interpret the period.
Ohio County Historical Museum
212 South Walnut Street
Rising Sun IN 47040
812-438-4915
http://www.ohiocountymuseum.org/
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| Ohio County Historical Museum |
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| Ohio County Historical Museum |
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| Indiana's Fascinating Museums - Southeast Edition |
The son of William Henry Whitlock, J. W. was native to Rising Sun, Indiana. J. W. spent his early years working in his father's sawmill, wood working shop and boat yard businesses. J. W. had a flair for designing and building machinery, inventing various devices during his lifetime. One of his first inventions was an automatic harp, built between 1894 and 1899. In 1900, he established a company to build this device, which was the forerunner of the jukebox. In 1907, he started designing and building racing boats. He invented a new type of gasoline engine, establishing a company to manufacture it in 1913. A year later, he founded the J.W. Whitlock Furniture Company, which manufactured chairs. Other inventions included a new type of phonograph, a machine tool, a woodworking tool, and an automatic record changer for phonographs.
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| Ohio County Historical Museum |
Whitlock purchased the Laughery Club in 1926. The 30-acre property had become dilapidated and run down. Whitlock remodeled and enlarged it, converting it to a luxury hotel resort that attracted well-to-do people from Cincinnati and other area. Laughery Island's sand beach became a popular place for bathing and swimming. The lavish club hosted live entertainment for its guests. The Whitlock family operated the hotel until the Flood of 1937 destroyed it.
Ohio County Historical Museum
 |
| Ohio County Historical Museum |
Ohio County Historical Museum
212 South Walnut Street
Rising Sun IN 47040
812-438-4915
http://www.ohiocountymuseum.org/
Buy Paul Wonning's At:
Picker's Paradise Trader Mall 129 N Broadway Street
Greensburg, Indiana, IN 47420
(812) 663-0021
On the Square in Downtown Greensburg Wholesale Pricing Available
For more information, contact:
Mossyfeetbooks@gmail.com
Orders over $50.00 Free Shipping
Download the Mossy Feet Books catalog today for great reading.
Indiana Places
Abes Beer Garden
Stories of American History
Mossy Feet Books
YouTube
Paul Wonning's Books on Amazon Page
Paul Wonning's Books on Smashwords Page
Paul Wonning's Books on Apple
Paul Wonning's Books on Kobo
Paul Wonning's Books on Barnes and Noble
Paul Wonning's Books on Createspace
Paul Wonning's Books on Google Play
© 2017 Paul Wonning
