A Hoosier cabinet or Hoosier is a type of cupboard or free-standing kitchen cabinet that also serves as a workstation. It was popular in the first few decades of the 20th century in the United States, since most houses did not have built-in kitchen cabinetry. The Hoosier Manufacturing Co. of New Castle, Indiana, was one of the earliest and largest manufacturers of this product, causing the term "Hoosier cabinet" to become a generic term for that type of furniture. By 1920, the Hoosier Manufacturing Company had sold two million cabinets. Hoosier-style cabinets were also made by dozens of other companies, and most were in Indiana or located nearby. Some of the larger manufacturers were Campbell-Smith-Ritchie (Boone); Coppes Brothers and Zook (the Napanee); McDougall Company; and G. I. Sellers and Sons. Hoosier cabinets evolved over the years to include more accessories and innovations that made life easier for cooks in the kitchen. They peaked in popularity in the 1920s, then declined as homes began to be constructed with built-in kitchen cabinets and counter tops. The Hoosier Manufacturing Company was sold in 1942 and liquidated. Today, Hoosier cabinets are valued by antique collectors.
Background
From 1890 to 1930, more houses were built in the United States than all of the country's prior years combined. Very few homes had built-in kitchen cabinets during the 19th century, and it was not until the late 1920s that built-in cabinets became a standard kitchen furnishing. Around the 1890s, several furniture manufacturers in Indiana discovered that a stand-alone kitchen cabinet with storage and a workspace (essentially a baker's cabinet with extra storage) was easy to sell. It was a kitchen workstation with ingredient and equipment storage where the cook could complete all food preparation and not move until it was time to cook the food. The Hoosier Manufacturing Company was one of those early manufacturers. In 1900, the company moved a short distance from Albany, Indiana to New Castle, Indiana. It began improving its manufacturing and distribution process, and was a strong believer in advertising. By 1906, it had 146 employees. The company's product was nationally promoted as a step saver, and its popularity led to the term Hoosier cabinet becoming a generic term for that style of kitchen cabinet—similar to the term kleenex (the facial tissue called Kleenex manufactured by Kimberly-Clark) becoming a generic term for facial tissues. Hoosier cabinets were very popular from 1900 to 1930. Hoosier Manufacturing sold two million cabinets from its inception to 1920, and additional cabinets were sold by the company's competitors. Given that there were approximately 20 million households in the US at that time, as much as 10% of homes had Hoosier cabinets made by Hoosier Manufacturing, and an additional unknown quantity had Hoosier cabinets made by competing companies. Hoosier cabinets remained popular until the 1920s. By then houses were being built with modern kitchens that included built-in cabinets, counter tops, and other fixtures. Thus, supplanted, the Hoosier cabinet largely disappeared. Some manufacturers diversified into built-in cabinets and kitchen furniture. The Great Depression made sales more difficult. By 1935, Hoosier cabinets were considered "old fashioned". The two largest manufacturers, Hoosier Manufacturing and G. I. Sellers and Sons, were closed in 1942 and 1950, respectively.
Features A Hoosier cabinet is a stand-alone kitchen cabinet, often on small casters. It is considered an improved version of a baker's cabinet. A baker's cabinet is a table with one or more bins underneath. It has a small work surface and a shallower upper section on top of the table that was used for storing bowls, pans, and kitchen utensils. The Hoosier cabinet expands on the baker's cabinet by offering a pull-out workspace/shelf and storage for everything a cook would need. The base section usually has one large compartment with the slide-out shelf covered in metal that offers more workspace, and several drawers to one side. The top portion is shallower and has several smaller compartments with doors. The majority of the Hoosier cabinets are about 48 inches (120 cm) wide by 22 inches (56 cm) deep by 72 inches (180 cm) high. In addition to their storage capacity, they offer about 40 inches (100 cm) of work space that was not available in the standard kitchen of the early 20th century other than the kitchen table. A distinctive feature of the Hoosier cabinet is its many moving parts and accessories. As originally supplied, they were equipped with various racks and other hardware to hold and organize spices and various staples. One particularly distinctive item is the combination flour-bin/sifter, a hopper that could be used without having to remove it from the cabinet. A similar sugar bin was also common. Additional accessories and innovations were added over the years. Special glass jars were manufactured to fit the cabinet and its racks. Original sets of Hoosier glassware consisted of coffee and tea canisters, a salt box, and four to eight spice jars. Some manufacturers also included a cracker jar. Colored glassware, ant-proof casters, and even ironing boards were innovations added later. Later models even included cards with reminders for grocery shopping and tips for meal planning.
Major manufacturers Hoosier cabinets were made mostly from the late 1890s through the 1930s, reaching their peak in popularity during the 1920s. The major manufacturers of Hoosier cabinets at that time were located in Indiana. Hoosier Manufacturing was the largest.
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