Ferdinand Mural: Seek & Find Features
What you see when you first look at the mural are the people, landmarks, and innovations that are unique to the town of Ferdinand, Indiana. But if you look more closely you will find woven into the mural “seek and find” historical features. Some are easier to find than others; some are hiding in plain sight. As you spend time exploring the mural and finding the features you can read the stories behind them and why they are important to the town.
There are 21 hidden features in the mural! Can you find them all?
Kitten Steam Engine
This innovation designed by Florenz Kitten in the 1880s was built at the Ferdinand Foundry and Machine Works. Kitten designed, patented, and built steam engines and threshers which he adapted for the rugged hillsides of southern Indiana. At its peak, the foundry employed the majority of able bodied men who were not farming, to build equipment that made the farmers’ lives so much easier. An actual Kitten Steam Engine is on display at the Dubois County Museum.
Wooden Shoes
Ferdinand was known as “The Wooden Shoe Township.” Henry Kitten (the steam engine inventor’s father) and Clements Luecken, Jr. both made wooden clogs for the German settlers. Luecken’s shoes were made by local craftsmen and sold in local stores, priced from 35¢ to 90¢ per pair, with leather insteps a little costlier. Orders were received from all over, including a pair that was sent to Alice Roosevelt, President Roosevelt’s daughter, upon her marriage.
Pot-bellied Stove
Frank Heidet Sr. arrived in Ferdinand in 1865, following his service in the Civil War. Unlike most of the members of his adopted community, his roots were in France, so he was nicknamed the Frenchman. He opened Heidet and Sons, a blacksmith and repair shop, which continues to this day and is the second oldest continuous business in Ferdinand; family owned and operated over five generations. From its earliest days, farmers and others in need of a tool or implement gathered around the potbellied stove, sharing the space with the resident cat who is often curled a nearby chair soaking up the heat.
Euchre Hand
This card game, believed to evolve from an 18th century Alsatian and Southwest German game called Jucherspiel, has long been a favorite in the community and is still popular today, as is the game Sheepshead, derived from Bavaria's national card game, Schafkopf.
Moonshine Jug
Early German settlers and their descendants used stills to produce fermented fruit and grain spirits. When the legal distilling industry got pushed “underground” by Prohibition (1920-1933), followed by the Depression, cooking moonshine became a “lifeline for survival.” Locally made high-quality moonshine was known as “Dubois Dew” because the moonshiners did not use lye or other means to give it an added (and dangerous) kick. Al Capone was known to visit Ferdinand to acquire the famous beverage. It was said you could not throw a rock in Ferdinand without hitting a moonshiner.
Snapping Turtle
Ingenuity is the mother of invention, so it’s no wonder settlers found a way to use the abundance of snapping turtles to stretch a meal. Rich, savory soup is still made by the gallons. Rooted in German Heritage, it is a highlight on local tavern menus and at church picnics. As the turtle population declined, mock turtle soup is served today, still using a plethora of vegetables and other meat, along with a variety of spices.
Fiddle
Weddings were traditionally held on Tuesday mornings, followed by a wedding breakfast at someone’s home, after which the entire town was invited to a dance to celebrate the couple’s nuptials. Usually, a fiddle was one of the instruments played by a band member.
Trumpet
Music has always been important to the community, with a band forming in 1842, two years after the community was established. The band, accompanied by the choir, performed for religious celebrations like the Corpus Christi procession and feast days. In addition, the “Ferdinand Old Time Brass Band” (Blaskapellen) played polkas and waltzes, as well as patriotic tunes and sometimes joined fiddlers and accordionists for barn dances and wedding receptions. The local Forest Park Marching Rangers high school band won state championships in 1981, 1982, 1985, 1986, 2001, 2008, 2012-2015, 2018, and 2023
Basketball
The sport of basketball did not become an official school sport until 1952, when St. Ferdinand High School was built. As this sport was new to the community, the first team did not win a single game their first year. However, over the years the tide turned, and Forest Park High School’s boys basketball team won the state championships in 2005 and 2006, while the girls basketball team were state champions in 2022 and 2023. Fleig's Cafe has long been headquarters for community celebrations after sporting events.
Baseball
While basketball didn’t arrive until the 1950s, Ferdinand had baseball teams almost since its inception, including the Ferdinand Greys in 1921. They played against teams from neighboring communities. The girls high school softball team won the state championship in 2001.
Upholstered Chair
Best Home Furnishings (BHF) (previously Best Chairs) was started in 1962 by Clem Lange and Ernie Prechtel when Clem reupholstered truck seats in his garage after hours. He grew the business exponentially into one of the largest furniture manufacturers in the world, and, in 2019, was inducted into the American Home Furnishings Hall of Fame. BHF remains family owned and operated. Ferdinand is also home to two MasterBrand Cabinet plants (the largest cabinet manufacturer in the world), as well as other industries.
Curtis Motor Car
Built in Ferdinand from 1907 to 1910, not much is known about the Curtis Motor Car Company. Suffice to say that two men decided that “If Detroit can do it, we can too!” Apparently, they were wrong. They built two cars but then went out of business.
Chiffon Cake
The Weyer/Mullis Tourist Home, located at 7th and Main St., was founded in 1924 by Anna Weyer, a widow with a passel of children to raise. During the Depression, Anna made home-cooked meals served family style to the Civilian Conservation Corp workers who had a camp north of town. The Tourist Home also housed working women during WWII. The Tourist Home’s most famous recipe was their light and delicious pink chiffon cake.
Ferdinand News
Established in 1906 by the Commerce Club, the Ferdinand News has been continually published ever since. In 1909, pressman Henry Haake purchased the newspaper, and it passed to his sons, J. Roy and Oscar after his death. In 1990, Richard and Kathy Tretter and Miriam and Paul Ash assumed ownership. The Ferdinand News has won awards in almost every news and advertising category in the intervening years, and in 2016, was chosen as the Hoosier State Press Association's Blue Ribbon Community Newspaper, the Association's highest honor. In 2024, current publisher and editor Kathy Tretter was inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame and received the Sagamore of the Wabash Award from then-Governor Holcomb.
Glass Bottle
The Ferdinand Bottling Works, established in 1907 by the Hauge brothers, was an outgrowth of the Stallmann local brewery, established in 1887. It produced "carbonated pop" in strawberry, lemon, and sarsaparilla flavors. The bottles were thick-necked, with wire attached to rubber stoppers. Carl Olinger took over the business in 1924, and "Nu-Grape" flavor was added in 1928. Tony Olinger and his brother Emil acquired Ferdinand Bottling Works and added Double Cola, and began distributing Hudephol beer. In 1945, the bottling company was sold to the 7-Up company.
Pet-Son Pump
Invented in Ferdinand by Theodore Peters and Albert F. Sondermann, Pet-Son is a combination of the two founders’ surnames. Their invention used physical metal gear teeth to dynamically calculate the price of gasoline as it was dispensed. The design was used worldwide throughout the mid-to-late 20th century.
White Lily Flour
In 1842, the Müller family founded the town’s horse powered flour mill and produced fine flour. White Lily was one of their most popular nationally known brands.
Quilt Block
This represents the traditional art of quilting. The German heritage, along with the town’s strong community ties, fostered traditions of home-based crafts, including textile work such as quilting, both as functional and cultural treasures.
Helming Brick
For generations, Ferdinand families built their homes of Helming bricks, crafted locally from clay mixed with water and kneaded by horse-power. The quality of these bricks was excellent, as is evidenced by the many brick structures still standing, including the Peter Muller home built in 1867 and the Monastery built in the early 1880s.
Postage Stamp
The first post office in Ferdinand opened in 1850. In 1912, at age 16, Ida Hagen became the first black female postmaster in the state of Indiana. Ferdinand’s Post Office was renamed for David Nord in 2007, the only Vietnam veteran from Ferdinand killed in action.
Ferdinand Volunteer Fire Department
A need for fire protection has been a factor since the dawning of man. Ferdinand established a volunteer fire department in 1905 which has continuously served the community. The original piece of equipment purchased for this purpose can be found at Fire Station No. One, on East 3rd Street.