Erie Sauder wanted to tell the story of how hard it had been for the early European settlers to transform the land in Northwest Ohio from a wilderness to tilled fields and productive towns. He developed the idea of using an historic village to tell this story. By 1969 he purchased an 1860s farmstead with a hand-hewn timber-frame barn built by George Britsch just north of Archbold, Ohio. The Founder also started acquiring objects in the early 1970s to display in his village. Nineteen of the structures in the Village are either historic structures or have parts that are from historic buildings. 

The collection covers a broad range of interests including farming equipment, furnishings, clothing, communications equipment, household accessories, tools and equipment of various trades, gas and steam equipment, and transportation. 

Our objects are utilized within the historic village in period settings re-creating the lives of the people, from prehistoric times to 1950, who settled northwest Ohio. In addition, a large portion of the collection is on display in the Museum enhancing the period interpretation provided in the Village.

The Agricultural Equipment Collection	The Textile Collection
The Kline Collection	The Voight Collection

The Agricultural Equipment Collection
Housed in this collection are examples of both animal, human, steam and gasoline powered equipment used to till and improve the soil, and plant, cultivate, and harvest crops.
Photograph of Wesley Yaussy on his homemade Tractor made from Model T Ford parts in the 1930s. Tractor was used in his truck garden on Tiffin Rd. in Bucyrus, OH (2001.39.1 and 2)	Cultivator used as a garden tiller in Alvorton, OH by the Esterline family. (2002.2.1)
Grain Cradle	Hand pushed Hay Rake
Hocking Valley Grain Drill (1988.15.1)	8 Horsepower, J. I. Case Steam Engine Serial No. 25, built between 1869-1876 (1987.74.1)
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The Kline Collection
Acquired by Erie Sauder from a private collector in Maumee, Ohio, there are over 1300 objects representing tools used by craftsmen such as: blacksmiths, carpenters, cobblers, coopers, farriers, and tinners.
Framing Square with box made by Brown  & Sharpe Mfg., Co., Providence, RI with “S. E. Co., Shop 2-28-48” engraved on one end. (1977.39.1182 a & b)	Plow Plane with name F. Schwedler Engraved on all four sides (1977.39.1255)
Left hand Goose Wing Axe (1977.39.1076)	Mortising Axe (1977.39.119)
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The Textile Collection
This collection contains over 730 pieces of clothing and household furnishings. Of particular interest is the Goll Clothing collection acquired by Erie Sauder in 1987. Peter and Catherine Goll came to America in 1834 and eventually purchased land in what was later to become German Township in Fulton County, Ohio. The Goll Collection contains over 161 pieces of clothing ranging in dates from the 1850s to the mid 1900s.
Man’s Shirt with glass buttons, circa 1850 (Goll Collection 1987.77.106)	Man’s Wolsey Coat (Goll Collection 1987.77.113)
Black & white satin striped Dress circa 1915-1919 (Goll Collection 1987.77.135)	Cotton, hand sewn Dress (Goll Collection 1987.77.136)
Children’s red leather Shoes (1977.44.1)	Feed Sack from the Fagley Seed Co., Archbold, OH, pre 1950’s (2001.36.3)
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The Voigt Collection
G. H. Voigt operated a wholesale plumbing and heating supply business in Holgate and then Defiance, Ohio and managed to acquire an extensive collection of 954 objects related to his trade. He kept records on each piece as to how and where he acquired the item. The collection showcases the changes in the trade from the late 1890s through the mid 1950s and includes tubs, sinks, pipes, cocks, valves, fittings, faucets, furnaces, water heaters and pumps.
Bathtub heated by gas burners on bottom (1990.059.290)	Folding Bathtub used by U. S. Army  from about 1890-1950s (1990.59.250)
Solid Porcelain Sitz Bath, with J. B. Clow  & Sons supply & waste fittings manufactured in 1918 (1990.59.292)	Corner marble slab Lavatory with splash back & Towel Bar Circa 1890-1910 (1990.59.272 & 1990.59.274)
Roll edge Corner Lavatory. Sold for $3.50 in the 1893 L. Wolf catalog  (1990.59.277)	Hot & Cold Faucets with ceramic handles and a waste faucet made by Joh Mann Billings Mfg. Co., Milwaukee (1990.59.196)
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