The Wells County Historical Museum begins its 2026 season with open museum hours of 1:00 - 4:00 pm on Sundays and Wednesdays, April - October. (See adjusted schedule for Mothers Day, Fathers Day, Independence Day weekend and Labor Day Weekend.) A new exhibit in the museum features Smith Garage & Trucking of Poneto as the... Continue Reading →
Make plans to attend the Wells County Historical Society Annual Meeting on Monday, April 13, 6:30pm at the Wells County Public Library in Bluffton. The event is free and open to the public. Todd Zieger, Vice President and Northern Director of Indiana Landmarks will present "Hidden Gems of Indiana. Todd will share photos and stories... Continue Reading →
The Dubois County Historical Museum is one of the largest county museums in Indiana. It is located in the former home of Kimball Piano and Organ Company which had their corporate headquarters in the city of Jasper, the county seat of Dubois County. The county is named after Toussaint Dubois a Frenchman who fought in... Continue Reading →
Author, Charles Joray was the featured speaker at the March 21, 2026 meeting of the Wells County Genealogy Society. Charles shared some stories and photos from his recent book, "The Early History of Vera Cruz, Indiana 1838 - 1910. He also announced that work is well underway for a second book about Vera Cruz which... Continue Reading →
John Barker moved to Michigan City, Indiana in 1836, where he became a significant figure in the local economy by investing in Sherman, Haskell, & Aldridge, which later transformed into the Haskell & Barker Car Company. In 1857, he constructed The Barker Mansion, a symbol of his success. During the Civil War, the company produced... Continue Reading →
If you have visited some of the buildings at Ouabache State Park in Wells County, you probably noticed the beautiful stone fireplaces. All of the buildings have the original fireplaces that were built by the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps.) boys 90 years ago! The workers hand placed the stones and were very creative in the... Continue Reading →
Thank you to everyone who attended the January meeting of the Wells County Genealogy Society held recently at the public library in Bluffton. Wells County resident Matt Day was the featured speaker and his topic was his Native American genealogy. Matt shared his genealogy and family history about the Shadle family and their Indian heritage.... Continue Reading →
Thank you to all of the visitors who voted for their favorite trees at the "Christmas in the Mansion," held over four weekends during November and December, 2025 at the Wells County Historical Museum in Bluffton. Over 1000 ballots were submitted by visitors listing their choice of the top three trees from the 37 decorated... Continue Reading →
The Wells County Historical Society would like to thank all of the individuals and businesses who contributed to making the 2025 “Christmas in the Mansion” a beautiful place to visit during the holiday season. Thank you to all of the volunteers who assisted in hosting the visitors to the museum. Thanks also to the volunteers... Continue Reading →
Here are more trees (#'s 19 - 37) that were on display at the Christmas in the Mansion. Be sure to check them out. Tree # 19 - Niche in the Back Hallway to Basement. Blue Poppy Designs by Tamara Tyree & Teresa Beck. Tree # 20 - Back Hallway Display Display Case Ledges. TJ's... Continue Reading →
Wells County Historical Society and Museum 