Museum to Mishawaka's past opens its doors on Main Street

MISHAWAKA — Marv Wood. Adam Driver. Margaret "Maggie" Prickett. Freddie Fitzsimmons. Elizabeth Richardson.

The names connected to the Princess City are being brought to life as the Mishawaka Historical Museum has opened its doors to showcase the city's past.

Five years in the making, the storefront museum at South Main Street north of Third Street has exhibits that honor the businesses, politicians, sports stars, artists and everything else that the city of Mishawaka has witnessed to make up the community it is today.

More:Mishawaka Historical Museum taking shape downtown

For Peter DeKever, all the artifacts, building challenges and years of planning have come together for its opening, which took place March 18.

And the emphasis is Mishawaka — from 1832 to the present.

"We've been very careful not to have things that are not specific to Mishawaka and, for the most part, stayed within the city limits, from 1832 to the present," DeKever said.

There are quotes on the walls and permanent displays, but, DeKever said, only about a third of the artifacts he has acquired or that have been donated are currently on display.

Some displays, such as the one for the Tivoli Theater, a downtown Mishawaka venue that entertained city residents, is in one of those spaces and likely will be replaced in the future with other items that will tell another story about the city.

"We want to give people a reason to come back, say, six months from now and see what's new in the museum," DeKever said. "We have an obligation to make sure we're rotating things in, especially because it's not a huge building."

Market Basket:Public House joins a growing number of restaurants and activities on Mishawaka's riverfront

When pressed on what DeKever feels are the three most significant exhibits in the museum presented at the opening, he focused on three of the many people shown in the displays.

Freddie Fitzsimmons

Fitzsimmons, also known as "Fat Freddie," was a Mishawaka native who played major league baseball and was a manager and coach. He played from 1925 to 1943 with the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers and was a pitcher, known for his knuckle curve ball.

Elizabeth "Liz" Richardson

Growing up in Mishawaka, Elizabeth "Liz" Richardson was a visual and creative artist, winning an award in college in 1939 for her work in a Wisconsin art school. After volunteering to serve in the American Red Cross in 1944, she served in the Clubmobile in England and France. In July 1945, she died in a Red Cross flight to Paris in a Piper Cub plane in heavy fog. She was 27, and is one of only four women buried in the military cemetery in Normandy. The museum has one of her paintings in the collection.

Marvin "Marv" Wood

The 1987 film "Hoosiers" immortalized Coach Marv Wood and tiny Milan High School's 1954 Indiana state basketball championship, but Wood spent time coaching the Mishawaka sports programs and at Saint Mary's College, among other schools, and was a Mishawaka Common Council member in the 1990s. The museum has a letter jacket of Wood's and other memorabilia from the Wood era.

DeKever said there will be volunteers to direct patrons. His eventual hope is to have school children make the museum a field trip destination to learn more about the city's history.

Email Tribune staff writer Greg Swiercz at gswiercz@sbtinfo.com.

On exhibit

● What: Mishawaka Historical Museum

● Where: 121 S. Main St., Mishawaka

● Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, Tuesdays and Fridays

● Cost: $5-$3; free for ages 5 and younger

● For more information: Call 574-217-8807 or visit mishawakamuseum.org.

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Mishawaka Historical Museum opens in downtown