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The historic Village of Milan is the birthplace of Thomas A. Edison and recognized by the National Trust as a Distinctive Destination. Visitors to the Milan Museum will learn a history rich in progress and creativity. Milestones in both history and invention are displayed in the history galleries. Explore the rise of the Milan Canal through the genius of Thomas Edison! The new glass galleries explore European and American glass from the earliest piece in the collection of Roman glass through the works of contemporary, local artists. The Milan Museum offers a day exploring historic buildings, filled with engaging exhibits. Special events and programs for the whole family all year!

The Milan Museum offers visitors a day exploring historic buildings, beautiful grounds and engaging exhibits. The Gift Shop is a place to sit and relax with a cup of coffee and shop a selection of unique gifts and Milan souvenirs for everyone. Start your tour in the Welcome Center with the annual temporary exhibit before exploring the beautiful grounds and Four Seasons Sculpture Garden.


<h1>March of Progress</h1><h2>Diggers like Hoover’s Transformed Potato Harvest</h2><h5>By Lisa Yako</h5>Necessity is the mother of invention. Never was that more true than with the invention of the potato digger. Before the advent of mechanized diggers, a farmer could only harvest as many potatoes as he could dig by hand. With a mechanized digger – like the one invented by Isaac Hoover – he could harvest hundreds of bushels a day. Hoover’s wasn’t the first mechanized potato harvester (that invention dates to the late 1860s) but it was one of the most popular early units.Isaac Woolverton Hoover was born in 1845 in Groton Township, Erie County, Ohio, the eldest son of John and Elizabeth Hoover. In 1851, following John Hoover’s return from the California gold rush, the Hoover family settled on a 115-acre farm in Oxford Township, Erie County, Ohio. There, Isaac gained valuable skills from his father, a stone mason and farmer. In 1866, Isaac married Hannah Jane Beare and together they had three children. After moving several times, Isaac and his family established their permanent home on a large farm in Avery (just south of Sandusky), Ohio, in 1875.<h3>Digging and designing</h3>Hoover, a farmer, initially focused his energies on the potato crop. For a number of years, his farm produced the largest potato harvest in the county. But after years of tediously harvesting potatoes by hand, Hoover began to envision a mechanical potato digger. During the winter of 1884-1885, he designed and constructed his first digger and used it to harvest his 1885 cropForeseeing the potential of his invention, he submitted a patent application in March 1885. The patent (No. 318,254) was granted May 19, 1885. According to Hoover’s patent application, the digger had “mechanisms for digging or removing the tubers from the ground, sifting and separating them from the earth, stones, weeds, and stalks, and delivering them at the rear of the machine, on one side, into a receptacle or upon the ground to be gathered up; the weeds are then discharged from the machine on the opposite side from the delivery of the potatoes.”The ground-powered potato digger was pulled by a team of horses, thus exerting force over the ground. As the cleated wheels rotated, they powered the machinery. The digger could harvest up to 500 bushels – a full 8 acres – of potatoes per day. Hoover’s invention was so popular among his friends and neighbors that he produced 10 more diggers during the winter of 1885-1886.<h3>Digger finds an enthusiastic market</h3>In 1886, Hoover and his brother-in-law, Albert Prout, created the Hoover &amp; Prout Co. to manufacture and promote the digger. In 1886, the partnership produced 50 potato diggers. Hoover formally introduced his invention to the world at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair (also known as the Columbian Exposition). In 1898, Hoover &amp; Prout received a gold medal for its digger at the Trans-Mississippi &amp; International Expo in Omaha, Neb., and went on to show the digger at the 1901 Pan-American Expo in Buffalo, N.Y. In about 1910, Prout left the business for unknown reasons and moved to Cleveland. Thereafter, the business became known as the Hoover Mfg. Co. Hoover served as president and treasurer and his son, Arthur, was secretary and general manager. Over time, Hoover’s potato digger became immensely popular. Considered by many farmers the best available on the market, it was regarded as reliable, well built and sturdy. By 1914, the Hoover Mfg. Co. at Avery employed 75 to 100 people, produced about 5,000 machines per year and shipped diggers worldwide. The factory occupied 4 acres.In 1915, Hoover introduced its first 1-row potato planter; a 2-row planter was offered in 1917. The company also produced potato sorters for grading, cutters for cutting seed prior to planting, and fertilizer distributing attachments for potato planters. In addition, Hoover offered optional attachments for the digger. The digger could be ordered with a different size elevator or with an open raddle chain elevator. Other options included a set of rolling coulters most popular for harvesting sweet potatoes, road tires for easier transportation of the digger, and a picking attachment that allowed crates to be attached to the side of the digger.<h3>Buyout marks end of an era</h3>As tractors became more commonplace, Hoover responded with enhancements to the digger. By 1913, gasoline engines were mounted on diggers, providing power to actually drive the machine and taking the load off the horse, which then only had to pull the machine. During that period, Deere &amp; Co., Moline, Ill., served as sole distributing agent for all Hoover products.In July 1926, Deere bought out Hoover. The Hoover family retained possession of the factory at Avery and continued to manufacture Hoover products during 1926. In 1927, Deere moved production from Avery to a Deere-owned subsidiary, the Syracuse (N.Y.) Chilled Plow Co. For a time, Deere marketed the digger as the John Deere Hoover potato digger. Deere continued to update the digger, using the Hoover prototype as the basis for its potato machinery line. In addition to manufacturing, Hoover was involved in the civic development of the communities of Milan and Lakeside, Ohio. Although potatoes were used to produce distilled spirits, Hoover and his son Arthur were ardent supporters of the prohibition movement in Ohio. Hoover continued to be creative and resourceful throughout his long life. In addition to his line of potato equipment, he also produced bag holders, weighing devices and a fruit/vegetable sorter capable of sorting 100 bushels per hour, the latter patented when its inventor had passed his 90th birthday.Isaac Hoover died at age 96 on March 4, 1941. In his 1916 book, A Standard History of Erie County, Ohio, H.L. Peeke described Hoover in glowing terms: “He has prospered, and his success and prosperity have produced a permanent and far reaching benefit to mankind.” Further, he noted, Hoover helped “to lighten the burdens of crop harvesting and at the same time decrease the cost of production of one of the most common articles of food” through his invention of the potato digger. Through his creativity, business sense and service to the community, Isaac Hoover brought opportunity to people of Ohio and beyond.  Lisa Yako owns Historical Research Partners in Huron, Ohio. Though her research focuses primarily on historic homes, she occasionally delves into related topics. Contact her at <a href="mailto:lisa@historicalresearchpartners.com" target="_blank">lisa@historicalresearchpartners.com</a>

Experience the atmosphere of a real Blacksmith shop, where a horse awaits his shoes and the smithy tools of the trade are on view. Discover the machines used to make tools for farming, fire and other industries in the area.

The Milan Museum: Sisty Blacksmith and Hoover Innovation Galleries

Edna May Roe (January 3, 1890 – November 19, 1964) and Bert Persing Newton (July 1, 1889 – January 6, 1976) grew up on farmlands in Oxford Township, just west of Milan. Following Edna’s graduation from nursing school at the Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan, the two were married on November 3, 1914. The couple traveled extensively due to Bert Newton’s position as vice president in charge of foreign development for Gulf Oil, developing an appreciation for major works of art. Several of the paintings and artifacts on display were gifts to the Newton’s including the six lace mats made by the Lace makers of King Leopold III of Belgium, who presented them to Edna in 1936. Often described as quiet and shy, Edna enjoyed the arts of needle point and petit point design, executing many examples in the galleries.

Founded in 1968, The Edna Roe Newton Arts Building houses galleries filled with works from around the world. The building and collection of paintings, sculptures, glass, and decorative arts were the generous gift Bert Persing Newton. Mr. Newton has many ties to Milan, which is why he chose the Milan Museum to house his and his wife's extensive collection.



Sèvres Coffee Set: The Sèvres porcelain factory was founded in the town of Vincennes in 1740. The prevailing Empire Style 1800-1815 used elaborate gilding, with scenes that linked all the pieces together by both the subject matter and style. The coffee set, a romance unfolds between two young courtiers from a first meeting, to courtship, to a proposal of marriage. 

The Milan Museum: The Newton Arts Gallery

In the 1820s, a new te﻿chnique for producing glass was developed in the United States. It revolutionized glassmaking not only in the US, but quickly spread to Europe and beyond. The technique was that of pressing glass in a new mechanical press, a method which drastically reduced the time and labor involved in making glass objects. Not only were costs reduced, but the new mass-production methods made glass available to everyone, not just the wealthy. The press of the 1820s, which made one glass plate every minute, was superseded within a century by new equipment – the 1920s machines produced several hundred pressed objects per minute. Lacy GlassLacy Glass was the first glass made with the new pressing machine in the 1820s. Lacy patterns produced a lacelike effect that concealed wrinkles in the glass that were caused by the cold plunger of the machine coming into contact with the hot, molten glass. The earliest forms of pressed, lacy glass tended to be small or flat items, such as furniture knobs, salts, and plates.  Pressed GlassThe use of the pressing machine continued to increase as improvements were made to both the machine and the pressing process. In the 1850s, as American industry and prosperity increased, a taste developed for ornate styles and complex decorations. New England Glass Company and the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company were important producers in the field of pressed glass and often used the same designs. The tendency of the various makers to copy popular designs from competitors makes identifying makers difficult.  Art GlassAfter 1900, fine art and design in every medium, including glass, experienced radical changes. During the late 19th century, explorations by designers and advances in industry had changed perceptions about glass design and the use of glass as a medium for art. Historical glassworking techniques had been revived, and experiments had been made with new colors. These developments equipped glassmakers with the tools to reinvent glass for the new century. Gallery highlights from this period include Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau glass by numerous designers and glass companies, such as, Frederick Carder, Emile Gallé, Johann Loetz, Moser, and Louis Comfort Tiffany. Art Deco glass, produced between the two world wars includes René Lalique, and Steuben. Ohio Glass Cambridge Glass CompanyThe factory opened in 1901, as part of the National Glass Company. During the first years the ware produced by the Cambridge Glass Co. came from molds previously used by other glass companies and was typical glassware of the period: table sets, jugs, bowls, molasses jugs, jars, tumblers and lamps. In 1954, the plant closed, and in November 1960, Imperial Glass Co. of Bellaire, Ohio, acquired the remaining assets, exclusive of the physical plant. Canton Glass CompanyFounded in 1883 on Marion Avenue in Canton, Ohio by Joseph K. Brown, A. M. Bacon, and noted designer David Barker, the Canton Glass Company produced a wide variety of glassware: lantern globes, bar goods, drug sundries, tableware, novelties, the patent Ribbed Filtering Funnel, and their Canton Domestic Fruit Jar (in clear and cobalt). The plant burned to the ground on March 23, 1890, a total loss. To keep the Canton name and product line alive, 120 workers and equipment were sent to the idle Beaver Falls Glass Company in Pennsylvania to continue production; there they operated a 15-pot furnace, two press shops, and one blow shop. The owners decided not to rebuild in Canton, but instead move to Marion, Indiana, where a plentiful natural gas supply was located. In 1899 the National Glass Company was founded from 19 smaller companies which together had produced about half of the pressed tableware, novelties and tumblers in the U.S. Canton was not one of the 19, but joined in November. By 1902 only 12 members remained, but in that year National shut down the Canton Works, citing a shortage of fuel. In 1902, glassworkers and townspeople met and decided to open a new factory to replace the old Canton. By 1909 the plant was running night and day shifts with 185 employees and producing an even larger variety of wares; by 1910, there were 200 workers. Jefferson Glass CompanyThe Jefferson Glass Company was founded in 1900 in Steubenville, Ohio and operated there until 1908 specializing in the making of opalescent glass. In 1908, the company moved to a new location in West Virginia and sold many of its Steubenville opalescent glass molds to the Northwood Glass Company. The factory closed in 1933. Royal Glass CompanyRoyal Glass operated in Marietta, Ohio from 1898 until 1903. Ohio Flint Glass Ohio Flint Glass Company opened in Bowling Green, Ohio in 1893. In 1899 it became part of the National Glass Company until 1908 and reopened from 1910-1937 as the Lancaster Glass Company. Fostoria Shade &amp; Lamp CompanyOpened in 1890, turned into the Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company in 1893. The factory closed in 1896. Bellaire Goblet CompanyStarted in 1876 in Bellaire, Ohio the company moved to Findlay, Ohio in 1888 and became part of the Findlay Glass Company from 1886-1902 with five other factories and eventually joined the U.S. Glass Company in 1891. Columbia Glass CompanyStarted in 1886, Columbia operated until 1892. It was part of the five factories making up the Findlay Glass Company and joined the U.S. Glass Company in 1891. Founded in 1888 in Findlay, the Model Flint Glass Company moved to Indiana in 1893. The Company was purchased by the National Glass Company in 1899, but was closed in 1902. Heisey Glass CompanyHeisey glass was made from 1896 to 1957 in Newark, Ohio, by A. H. Heisey and Co., Inc. The factory produced tableware, both pressed and blown, in a variety of patterns and colors as well as decorative glass figurines. AJ Beatty &amp; Sons/Tiffin GlassJoseph Beatty and Edward Stillman started Beatty Glass Works in Steubenville in 1845. It was sold to Alexander J. Beatty in 1852 and moved to Tiffin, Ohio in 1888. The factory produced glass under several names, including U.S. Glass Company and Tiffin Art Glass until 1984. Belmont Glass WorksOpening in 1866, the company made lantern chimneys, lamps and bar goods. The Belmont Glass Works closed in 1890. Imperial Glass CompanyFounded in 1901 by Edward Muhleman, the handmade glassware was sold worldwide and the company was best known for its carnival glass. Imperials first ‘freehand’ pieces appeared in 1923, introducing new iridescent art glass that was technically and artistically successful. Dalzell, Gilmore &amp; Leighton Glass CompanyOrganized in 1884, the company employed more than 150 workers until its sale in 1899 to the National Glass Company. Consolidated Glass CompanyIn late 1893, Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company was formed by the merger of Wallace and McAfee Company with the Fostoria Shade and Lamp Company. They were located in Fostoria, Ohio, but the plant burnt in 1895. In 1896, Consolidated moved from Fostoria to Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. In the mid-1920s, Reuben Haley designed a line of art glass inspired by René Lalique. Fenton Art Glass CompanyFounded in 1905 by Frank L. and John W. Fenton, the original factory was located in Martins Ferry, Ohio. In 1906, the company built a new factory across the Ohio River in Williamstown, WV. Fenton was renowned for innovative glass colors as well as hand-painted decoration on pressed and blown glassware. Libbey Glass CompanyEdward Drummond Libbey moved his glass company from Boston to Toledo, Ohio in 1890. The Libbey Glass Co. produced Brilliant Period cut glass as well as Agata, Amberina, Pomona, Green Opaque and more. In 1935, Libbey became part of the Owens-Illinois Corp. continuing to contribute to the industrial techniques used in manufacturing. New England Glass CompanyIn the late 19th century, NEGC created art glass items known as “fancy” glass or “art ware”. Staff member John Locke created and patented Amberina in 1883 and the company produced its own version of Peachblow in 1885, known as Wild Rose. Locke also developed Green Opaque and Pomona glass.

The Galpin Glass Galleries display a timeline of glass beginning with ancient glass from the Roman Empire, early American Blown Glass and Pattern glass. The Art Glass Galleries are comprised of the Robert Mowry Collection with pieces from the American Art Glass Movement, European Art Glass Movement and the Modern Studio Glass Movement. Pieces on view include more than 1,500 works from Mt. Washington, Steuben, Tiffany, René Lalique, Johann Loetz, Thomas Webb & Sons, Dominic Labino, Charles Lotton and many more. The Contemporary Glass Gallery showcases pieces from Joel O’Dorisio and Dale Chihuly.



The Folk and Decorative Arts Galleries showcase examples of early American Folk and Decorative Arts. Exhibits display excellent examples of arts in the Firelands; furniture, ceramics, paintings, textiles, sculptures and more. 

Capucine Orange Persian Set with Royal Blue Lip Wraps by Dale Chihuly

The Milan Museum: Galpin Glass and Art Galleries

“My very own dolls! All ten of them were born and brought up, fully clothed like Minerva, daughter of Jupiter, at 77 Cedar Avenue 1871 through 1879. My playroom, six feet square, was upstairs and there I went to play alone so much of the time. I remember where all of my treasures stood and I sat in the middle on the floor or in my small green chair or walnut rocker. The small chair I have hunted long to find a duplicate one like it but never have. The rocker I have at the country house. The dolls are truly Western Reserve after arriving, though none were made here. My first was made by the N.Y. Rubber Co. The boy Fred was made of rock maple in Vermont by Joel Ellis. Fannie, a Superior Composition doll head, called the Mystery doll. I remember well receiving her Xmas 1877. I found her in bed with me Christmas morning with an embroidery yoke nightgown. She has a wrapper, alpaca dress and a waterproof cape like my own.  Nellie, also Tryphene, both china, came from Germany. Mother and I chose Nellie, the sweet face doll, at Wardwells dollar store way down on Superior St. – head and body separate each one dollar – very expensive! Her petticoat always did show and in later years my second daughter’s did the same. My fashion doll Bessie, a French bisque 1876, was a beauty, still is except her hair being puffed, is badly worn and the long curls hang down no more. The two hard rubber, Rosie and Lillie, I do not know where from but were 1873, the latter became lost before the playroom was disbanded.  My wax doll Pearl has short curls, heavy wax, probably German made. I have never seen another wig like hers. The last one was a wax also in long baby clothes of the period. I remember feeling so rebellious over her as I disliked baby dolls anyway or any clothes covering feet and a letter came with her signed from Santa. To a girl of ten that was adding insult to injury. The clothes I have put on a doll as near like her as I could find as she too went away, I never knew where, as did Lillie. I have too, my small Black walnut table made by an uncle and my rose-bud dishes. How often I have served tea (good old Lake Erie) to my father on his homecoming! He always asked where I bought my tea and the answer was always the same, “At the Flour &amp; Feed Store”, which pleased him greatly as that was his business in Cleveland for 40 years. When I married, the dolls and toys were forgotten. Mother put them in a small chest (old tool chest) and sent them to me at the Miles Avenue home where they lay in attic till 1930. Then a small doll called Hitty who belonged to Miss Rachel Field, author, came to Cleveland and the Public Library arranged a party for her in Feb. by showing old dolls sent in to exhibit. I went to work cleaning up mine, took five down with my small four poster bed which was the beginning of twenty years of fun. I meet and entertain people from all walks of life, go places to find “finds” and see Beautiful Ohio on the way. My daughter and I in our vacation to New Orleans and on to California found several dolls in both places. I have been “written up” by Grace Goulder and the Women’s City Club which may have added a bit on satisfaction. I now have 330 dolls, all very good samples of the years from 1820 to 1914.”Mildred Smith Colton

The dolls were a gift to the museum for Mildred Smith Coulton of Cleveland in 1955 when she was 85 years old. Mostly made in the 1800s they exemplify finely crafted English, German and French works.  American-made exceptions are a leather head doll with painted features ca. 1790 and a Vermont Rockmaple-splint, square jointed doll made at Joel Ellis doll factory in 1873. Other are made of bisque, china, papier-mache, celluloid, tin, brass and poured wax. Mrs. Coulton named each member of her “family,” Beginning with her own personal dolls, Rosie, Fannie, Nellie, Bessie, Pearl, Fred and Black Bet.

The Milan Museum: Mildred Smith Coulton Doll Gallery

By all modern accounts, Milan is a quaint and sleepy Village located just close enough to the Lake Erie shore to warrant a visit by many passing tourists each year. But what many do not realize until after their visit, is what a rich and unique history this little Village possesses. From its Moravian missionary beginnings to the entrepreneurial spirit that forged a place in history, Milan has a story to tell. Being the birthplace of Thomas Alva Edison attracts tourists each year, but the beautiful Village of Milan and the interesting history it possess capture the imagination of all who come.The first permanent settlers were the families displaced from Connecticut during the American Revolution. The burning of their homes resulted in the legislation of 1792 that “released and quit-claimed to the Sufferers or their legal representatives or heirs” 500,000 Connecticut-owned acres in Ohio known as the Fire Lands. The Village of Milan was platted by Ebenezer Merry in 1817, using the original Pettquoting streets as a guide. He also began the long history of commerce-related business in Milan with the establishment of a grist mill and sawmill. A rapid population growth followed with new settlers venturing west for a piece of land and prosperity.From there, the story weaves through the development of the Milan Canal and rise of the shipbuilding industry. Milan was incorporated in 1833, in part to finance a three mile ship canal linking the Village of Milan with the Huron River. Prior to the advent of the railroad, farmers had to bring their harvest to the northern lake ports by wagon. The sandy, wet prairie roads above Milan were not easily crossed by harvest-laden wagons. The idea of the Port of Milan was born and after six years of construction, the Milan Canal opened to lake vessel navigation on July 4, 1839. For the next ten years the Village prospered. Business increased so dramatically that general stores were crowding all around the Town Square to keep up with business generated by the farmers on the one hand and the ship crews on the other. At one point there were 14 general stores all around the square, most of the stores had a connection to the warehouses, so the farmers were given either some cash or more likely, credit in the stores in the form of chits or tickets that they could use to buy merchandise. A bustling inland port was created, although its fortune did not last long. The full-circle comes with the transformation from bustling wheat port to the shady village that takes pride is preserving the architectural jewels it calls home. The rapid development of the railroads spelled the demise of lake commerce and Milan refused to allow construction of a bridge over the navigable waters of the Huron River. Shipbuilding moved to natural ports capable of allowing the ever-growing ships passage and in 1865 the last vessel passed down the canal for commercial trade. The wealth that had been poured into Milan can still be seen in its architecture. It left as quickly as it had appeared, leaving the Village of Milan in a peaceful slumber, remaining a quaint 19th century town that surprises visitors with its charm.Milan is also birthplace Thomas Alva Edison, and the small hillside brick home where he was born on February 11, 1847 still stands as a testimony of ingenuity and hard work. His birth year also marked the peak of the Milan Canal. Edison spent his youth watching schooners load and unload cargo while hearing the sounds of a bustling port and shipbuilding industry at the base of his home.

The Sayles History Galleries begin with the new Native American exhibit, features the 3,000 year old Adena pottery vessel, found close to the Museum grounds. Beyond lay 200 years of Milan history on display. From the first Europeans to the Moravian Missionary settlement, through the post-Revolutionary War pioneers, history awaits! Discover the history of the Milan Canal and shipbuilding industry, Civil War, WWI, WWII and the impact of Milan-born Thomas Alva Edison.

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