Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum facts for kids
The Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum is a cool place to visit in Roscoe Village, a historic town in Coshocton, OH. This town used to be part of the Ohio & Erie Canal system. The museum is packed with interesting things from all over the world!
It has four main types of exhibits spread across five galleries. You can explore Native American history, learn about Ohio's past, see amazing art from Asia (like Japan and China), and check out decorative items from the 1800s and 1900s. There are more than 17,000 items in the museum's collections!
Contents
Museum History
The museum exists thanks to two brothers, John and David Johnson. They grew up in Coshocton in the mid-1800s. These brothers loved to travel the world and collect unique items from different cultures.
They decided to give their huge collection of over 15,000 objects to their hometown. They asked for a museum to be created to honor their parents, Joseph Johnson and Mary Susan Humrickhouse. The Johnson-Humrickhouse Museum first opened its doors on May 8, 1931.
The brothers' original collection included things like:
- Native American baskets and beadwork.
- Ancient clay figures from Mexico.
- Japanese pottery, woodblock prints, and even Samurai swords.
- Chinese lacquerware, fabrics, and wood carvings.
- Beautiful ceramics, glass, and textiles from America and Europe.
Since then, the museum's collections have grown even more. Many people have donated items, especially things related to local history and ancient Ohio Indian tools.
Awesome Exhibits to Explore
The museum has several permanent exhibits that you can enjoy.
Native American Treasures
This gallery is full of amazing items from Ohio's earliest people. You'll see stone tools and points from ancient times, including the Adena and Hopewell periods.
One special display is the Rothenstein Cache. This is a collection of 342 stone blades found in 1963. A plumber discovered them while working on a house in Coshocton! These unfinished blades are made of black flint and are about 2,000 years old. They belonged to the Adena culture.
The gallery also shows off pottery, beadwork, carvings, and clothing from different Native American tribes from the 1700s, 1800s, and 1900s.
Ohio's Pioneer Past
Step back in time in this gallery! You can see a model of a typical pioneer cabin. It shows the tools, furniture, and longrifles that Ohio's early settlers used in the late 1700s and 1800s. A special display features different types of old rifles, from flintlocks to muzzle loaders.
Did you know Coshocton is famous for advertising art? In 1886, a newspaper owner named Jasper Meek printed an ad for a shoe store on school bags. This was the start of advertising art! Many companies followed his lead. Most early ads were printed on metal trays and signs. Coca-Cola trays are very common examples.
It's believed that in the early 1900s, Coshocton had more artists than any city except New York City! You can see Jasper Meek's old printing press from 1830 and many examples of Coshocton's advertising art.
The Golden Gallery
The Golden Gallery has a cozy Victorian area. Here you can see furniture, textiles, and decorative art from Europe and America from the 18th and 19th centuries. Half of this gallery is also used for special exhibits that change often.
Amazing Asian Art
This gallery features beautiful art and weapons from China and Japan from the 18th and 19th centuries. You can see:
- Jade objects
- Delicate porcelain
- Colorful cloisonné
- Intricate embroidery
- Lacquerware
- Theater masks
- Detailed ivory and wood carvings
- Samurai armor and swords
Changing Special Exhibits
Gallery five is where the museum hosts changing exhibits. They put on five different shows each year! These exhibits can be about anything from modern quilts and fine art to World War II posters and traveling displays from other museums.
The Mysterious Newark Holy Stones
The museum is home to the original and somewhat mysterious Newark Holy Stones. There are four objects:
- The Keystone
- The Decalogue Stone
- A two-piece box made for the Decalogue Stone
- A bowl
Both the Keystone and the Decalogue Stone have Hebrew writing on them. The Decalogue Stone also has a picture of Moses. These stones were found in the Newark earthworks in the 1860s. At first, people thought they might be connected to the ancient Hopewell Indian culture, which lived between 100 BC and 500 AD.
However, most experts now believe the stones are forgeries (fakes) from the 1800s. Their exact origin is still a bit of a mystery!
