New exhibit at Elkhart County Historical Museum debuts Saturday

BRISTOL, Ind.--- The Elkhart County Historical Museum will debut a new exhibit Saturday entitled "Crossroads: Change in Rural America,". The exhibit, which partners with the Smithsonian Institute examines life in rural America from the turn of the 19th century through the digital age.

Elkhart is one of six counties in Indiana to host the traveling exhibit. While the exhibit examines rural life in America as a whole, each town the exhibit stops in provides its own pictures and displays to make the exhibit unique to that area.

"It’s an examination of rural life today," said Julie Parke, Director of the Elkhart County Historical Museum. "It is what is the complexion of rural America in today’s society and what is its contribution to people’s day to day lives."

The museum will host different discussion sessions throughout the exhibit's tenure in Elkhart to coincide with the exhibit's theme. Curators with the museum say the rural community is still strong in Elkhart County, and its ability to adapt to change while still honoring its roots is what makes it the perfect place to host the exhibit. 

"We feel that Bristol represents a snapshot of Elkhart County in that we have this marriage of manufacturing and agriculture and small town life right by the toll road and so we combine all of those things in this little town,"  said Parke.

"Crossroads" will be at the Elkhart County Historical Museum through March 15th.