I spent the afternoon walking around the small town of Madison, Indiana. A trip inside the local historical society offered a peek at the many businesses that were a part of the area's history. The one that surprised me was button making.
Pearl buttons were created from mussel shells that lined the banks of the river. Today I saw the white shell that remained. The original shape was there, but the shell had eight or ten button-sized holes punched out.
Unfortunately, the working conditions were not ideal. According to the Hoosier State Chronicles website, the use of hydrochloric acid and poor ventilation didn't help. Injury was common as many workers lost fingers while stamping out the buttons.
Eventually, the shell banks that had been so plentiful were gone. Before long, plastics made their way to the button industry so shells were no longer needed. Innovation continued in the form of zippers and Velcro and the button factories of the Midwest were no more.
I love finding out about such little nuggets of history. Thanks, Madison for making sure I learned something new today.
8 hours ago
Mary, that is all so interesting. I've never spent much time thinking about buttons or their evolution. Thank you for sharing this little snippet of history.
ReplyDeleteI grew up along the Mississippi in Iowa and can remember finding the shells with the buttons stamped out all the time.
ReplyDeleteMary, thank you for sharing. I have a button jar and will now think of them differently.
ReplyDeleteGreat slice of history. I'm intrigued to learn more!
ReplyDeleteI think they're still making buttons in China. Trade war?
ReplyDeleteMy mom has a massive collection of buttons. I'm so glad to hear that Indiana offers them adequate honor.
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