Collections
1905 Mier Car
Center Stage at the museum is the 1905 Mier car designed and built by local resident, Sheldon Harkless. Mr. Harkless sold the car’s design rights to the Mier Carriage Co. of Ligonier. The company produced only about 10 cars and this is one of the two known survivors.
Chief Wawasee
Miami chief, Wau-wa-aus-see, or Wawasee, often contracted into Wawbee. In the mid-1830’s, Wawasee’s village was situated near the southeast corner of Lake Wabee, approximately two and one-half miles southeast of Milford including the eastern shores of Lake Wabee.Chief Wawasee was a minor leader but a brother of Flat-belly. Like his brother, Wawasee was big and strong. This chief dressed up for special occasions by wearing a large silver ring that hung from the cartilage of his nose. He sometimes substituted a fish bone for the ring, according to James W. Armstrong in The History of Leesburg and Plain Township Indiana published by the Leesburg Journal.
Antique Ladies Hat Collection
What did fashionable ladies 100 years ago wear on their heads? Why hats of course! Click below to see a selection of hats from our collection.
…and many other items and collections icluding:
Syracuse and Wawasee High School:
- Portraits of graduating classes from 1950 to 1989
- Trophies from a variety of sports over the years
An Extensive Collection of Native American Artifacts
- Arrowheads
- Axe heads
- Various tools
Other Items and Collections From The Area:
- A mastodon tooth
- Military uniforms
- A 400 Year old grandfather clock
- A Telephone switch board from the Spink Hotel
- A circa 1890 washing machine
- A tug boat engine from the tug that was used to push Marl loaded barges on Syracuse Lake
- Oil paintings (mostly by Ken Harkless) depicting life in Syracuse from years past
- Most of the Museum’s photos have been preserved in the Syracuse – Wawasee Historical DVD, which can be viewed at the Museum and is also available for purchase.
Hours We Are Open:
