Columbus takes ‘Steps Through Time’: Hands-on history lessons conclude today

Visitors are taking “Steps Through Time” along the history path of Bartholomew County.

The sixth annual program at the Bartholomew County Public Library, which opened Friday, concludes today.

“Steps Through Time” is about collecting and preserving items that are important for others to also experience, reference librarian Michele Bottorff said.

Historic engines produced by Cummins Inc. were on display on the library plaza, including a 1.5 horsepower Cummins thermoil engine dating back to about 1920.

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Randy Watts, a performance engineer with Columbus-based Cummins Inc., said the engine is one of the first 50 the company built, used for pumping water, sawing wood and grinding grain.

Watts, who purchased the engine from a collector’s organization in South Dakota, has taken care of it for the past 10 years. He was able to restore the engine into working condition after purchasing it, he said.

“We know about three dozen that still exist today,” Watts said.

“What’s neat to me is that it has the original paint and decals. These engines are the forerunner of today’s engines,” he said.

Watts, who has worked at Cummins Inc. for 28 years, said he often went to engine shows while growing up — ultimately spurring his interest in the hobby.

At one time, Cummins built engines for the Sears Roebuck Co. catalog, said Watts, who enjoys being able to show off a piece of Cummins’ history with the community.

Watts’ engine joined three others on display for visitors to see, including two Reeves engines that were also produced in Columbus.

“It’s neat that all these engines came from right here in town,” Watts said. “That part of the story I love to tell.”

Inside displays

Inside the library, visitors can find information ranging from Columbus and Bartholomew County’s auto racing memorabilia and the Yellow Trail Museum in Hope.

Items such as pamphlets, letter jackets and newspapers from Columbus High School are on display. The school, now known as Columbus North High School, is marking its 150th anniversary this year.

Historic manuals and service pins from Cummins can be found in the Red Room of the library, in addition to aerial maps of Columbus spanning 1937 to 2014.

Tricia Gilson, archivist with the Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives, said the “Steps Through Time” program is a good representation of what life used to be like in Bartholomew County.

“It’s important to see the history of the county from pretty early on to what’s going on today,” Gilson said. “It helps them see the progression of technology in our life.”

Items produced by Arvin Industries, which was founded in Columbus in 1919, were also on display, including a tire pump, exhaust system, radios and a heater.

Arvin merged with Meritor in 2000, after which local plants were sold to other companies such as Faurecia.

Jim Huntington, who worked for Arvin for 36 years, was joined by one of his former colleagues, John Chambers, in showcasing items produced by the company.

“People forget that Arvin was a big player in Columbus,” Huntington said.

Like Cummins, Arvin Industries was a Fortune 500 company.

Chambers, who worked for Arvin for about 20 years, relocated to Columbus from Ohio to work for the company.

“They were a major employer and contributed a lot to the city,” he said. “We want to remind people that Arvin was here and made a lot of good products.”

Student perspective

Students from Columbus Christian School were in attendance and many of them used it as a learning opportunity, including fifth-grader Lindsey Hunnicutt, who said it provided her with a different perspective of Columbus and Bartholomew County.

Fellow fifth-grader Ehren Wright said he enjoyed being able to see different elements of the area’s history in person.

The Columbus Fire Department brought its 1937 Stutz pumper, a diesel powered fire truck, for visitors to see outside on Fifth Street.

“It’s really inspiring to see how people have all these things to show,” Wright said. “I had no idea that this stuff even existed.”

Wright described “Steps Through Time” as an eye-opening experience.

“This town has so many historical things that you wouldn’t think about,” he said.

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"Steps Through Time" will continue today from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bartholomew County Public Library, 536 Fifth St. Exhibits can be found in different areas throughout the library and outside on the plaza.

The Bartholomew County Historical Society will allow visitors to dye their own silk scarf using natural dyes today on the front lawn of the Columbus Area Visitors Center, 506 Fifth St. The Bartholomew County Genealogical Society will also provide assistance to visitors in finding their ancestors.

Admission is free. For more information, call the library at 812-379-1255.

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