How To Date Your Hoosier Cabinet
First, a word about the term “Hoosier Cabinets:” this is a broad category term that implies a style of cabinet that was manufactured in or near the state of Indiana. Most of the older free-standing styles of kitchen cabinets were actually made in or near Indiana and, therefore, can be rightly called “Hoosier Cabinets,” but they should also be identified by their specific manufacturer. Here at Coppes Commons we have collected more than 120 names of different companies that produced kitchen cabinets that are easily grouped within the Hoosier Cabinets style. This information was found in advertising in magazines, in the antique markets, or in listings on Ebay. The list can be found at the bottom of this page.
The period of manufacture for Hoosier Cabinets begins before 1900 and lasts till the 2nd World War, a period of approx. 40 years, until the modern built-in kitchen cabinets took over the business. Some of the companies that made this “HOOSIER” style of kitchen cabinet likely followed the growing popularity of the new kitchen cabinets. They may have already been in the general furniture manufacturing business and just added kitchen cabinets because the general public wanted the new style of kitchen cabinets. Here at Coppes, we continued to produce the Napanee line of kitchen cabinets (Hoosier style) while making and selling the modern style of cabinet–wall hung units with long, straight countertops on the base cabinets. There are a lot of similarities in the Hoosiser style kitchen cabinet, most likely because companies borrowed ideas from the examples on the market. The accessories such as flour bins, glassware, and sheet metal parts were likely purchased from wholesalers who sold to several companies.
To make the issue even more complex, there was a large kitchen cabinet company in New Castle, Indiana that was named “The Hoosier Manufacturing Company.” So, when people ask “is that a Hoosier”, they may be referring to the Hoosier Mfg. Co. or a style of cabinet.
The factory that made the Coppes Dutch Kitchenet and or “Napanee” cabinets has a long history. It began with a sawmill in 1876 and is still in business today manufacturing kitchens. To read more about the history of the Coppes companies, visit the “Our Story” page on our site.
To identify the exact date of manufacture for a Coppes Napanee kitchen is difficult without access to our large collection of company catalogs. The model numbers changed quickly. In the approximately 40 years that the Hoosier style kitchen cabinets were mfg. by Coppes Napanee, we have counted more than 300 different model numbers. As you may guess, the actual changes to the different models were sometimes small. The addition of a cutting board, the style of legs, for example, or a different mfg. process would change the model number. Please remember, there is no hard and exact rule for dating these cabinets. Custom orders could be made at any time, also they wisely continued to use up existing parts and supplies even if the cabinet model number had changed. The catalogs may not have reflected the exact date in a change of model number. Dating kitchen cabinets is not like dating automobiles. Newer models did not always begin in the fall of the coming calendar year. To peruse some of our catalogs, visit our Catalogs page. Coppes Dutch Kitchenets usually had a metal name tag nailed somewhere on the front. There may also be a paper label on the back, top & bottom. In addition, the model number, color, or Stencil style were handwritten on the back with a thick ink type brush.
Things to look for in dating a Coppes Napanee
Type of
original finish
Type of
original finish
Type of
original finish
Type of
original finish
What type of original finish was on the piece?
The earliest cabinets had a clear finish, such as shellac or lacquer. Painting the cabinets did not start until the 1920s. You could still order a Coppes cabinet with a clear finish (or no finish) after the cabinets started to be painted. The use of a clear finish required a better quality of wood in the construction of the cabinets. White Oak was the most common exterior wood used in Cabinets during this clear finish era (1898-1920) of cabinet manufacture at Coppes Napanee. If you are restoring a cabinet that was painted sometime in it’s history, then you need to decide what it had originally and if you want to keep the paint or do a clear finish.
Which metal tag is on the Cabinet?
This tag changed when the company changed its name or a special style of cabinet was manufactured. See pictures below of the known examples. Again, the company used one style of tag until they ran out, then started with the newer tag. The years of use are close estimates. We have no knowledge of the exact type of label on the cabinets manufactured by The Nappanee Furniture Co. between 1898-1902 . Likely it would have been a heavy paper label tacked on the back.
Another type of label you may find is a paper label glued on the back (both top & bottom). The labels we have seen have the model number, the finish style or color, and possibly the store that sold the cabinet or the customer. The early cabinets may have the model and other information handwritten with a dark chalk or a black ink type brush.
Chronological Order
Coppes, Zook & Mutschler Co. The company was already using a misspelling of the town Nappanee on labels (one “p”). At the time it was illegal to use the proper name of a town in advertising a product.
Coppes Bros. & Zook – Brass with blue or black background or Aluminum with black or blue. This is the most common tag, shown below.
This badge was used on full-size cabinets.
The Coppes “Electrified Kitchenet” Cabinet Tag was on a cabinet that Coppes wanted to obtain the U. S. patent for. Unfortunately, they were too late. Other companies had used electricity in different cabinets for lighting and outlets, so the Coppes patent application was turned down.
The “Napanee Kitchen Compact” patented cabinet was made 1936-38. This tag has Coppes Inc. , so we know that the company was incorporated after 1936.
This tag was commonly used on smaller cabinets as well as full size.
This is the Coppes Napanee label used on later modern style kitchen cabinets. It measures 3 3/8th in. long.
Misc. Badges
This is a very rare Coppes Bros. and Zook cabinet nameplate. It was used in different years, sometimes in the cabinets of 1937.
We believe this badge was used for a short time after the end of the Coppes, Zook, & Mutschler partnership (1912-13).
CO = Coppes, BRO = Brothers, OK = Zook
This very thin brass embossed label is a rare tag with unknown dates for use.
Logo that the factory began to use in 2020.
Here is an example of a wood burned label used inside drawers on later model kitchens.
Examples of reproduction labels of the type sold on EBAY.
How was the cabinet assembled?
These can be a deciding factor in determining who manufactured your cabinet or which company manufactured it. Here are photos of the type of side bracket used on early Coppes Napanee cabinets and a detail photo showing the way the top joint was put together. As a general rule of thumb, remember the methods changed, the styles changed, the materials changed, and using just one factor in judging the age of a cabinet may not be accurate.
What style of flour bin does your Coppes Napanee kitchen cabinet have?
Below are several pictures of cabinets with different flour bins. The exact location of the smaller bins varied in the cabinets. Remember, Coppes likely purchased flour bins from a wholesaler. Other companies could have purchased the same flour bins.
Our Collected List of
Hoosier Cabinet Manufacturers
- Abernathy Furniture Co, Kansas City, MO
- Acme Kitchen Furniture Co. Chattanooga, Tenn. 1917
- Ariel Cabinet Company – Peru, Indiana ”Handyhelper”
- Atchison Furniture Co., Atchison KS 1902
- Austell Furniture Company, Austell, Georgia
- Baines, Mosier Company, Allegan, MICH.
- Barnet kitchen Cabinet, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. 1922
- Biederman Mfg. Co. Spencerville, Ohio
- Boone Kitchen Cabinet – Campbell-Smith-Ritchie Co. – Lebanon, Indian
- Borden Cabinet Co. The Indiana. Indianapolis IN. 1922
- Border Kitchen Cabinet, Bedford, In 1920
- Border Queen Kitchen Cabinet, 1913-1917
- Bosse kitchen Cabinets, 1909
- Brownbilt kitchen cabinet, F. K. Cox & Co. Newmarket, Australia
- California Kitchen Cabinet co. 1883
- Cardinal Cabinet co. The, Wabash, IN , 1913
- Chambers Kitchen Cabinet, The. , Maryville, TN 1896
- Chatham Kitchen Cabinet, -Manson Campbell Co, Chatham, Ont (Detroit) 1906
- Chief Keokuk, The better Kitchen Cabinet, Akerson-Ringstrom Co. Keokuk, Iowa,
- Colonial Cabinet Co. St. Louis, 1915
- Conroy’s High-Grade Kitchen Cabinet, 1909
- Crawford-Bunch Furniture Co. Statesville, NC. 1915
- Culinart, Frankfort, Ind.
- Curtis Cabinet Co. “Curtis woodwork”, Cabinet 1935—
- Diamond Kitchen Cabinets – Shelbyville, Ind. The C.F. Schmoe Furniture Co.
- Domestic Science kitchen Cabinet, 1927
- “DORCHESTER, THE” Reg DESIGN 733539 GMWAHC
- Dulin Anderson-Dulin Varnell Co. Knoxville, KY.
- Easiwork Kitchen Cabinet, 242 Tottenham Court Road. London, W. 1.
- Elwell- Minneapolis Furniture Co. MN
- Eureka Kitchen Cabinet, 1904
- Falcon manufacturing Co. Big Rapids, Mich. 1918
- Famous Line Borden Cabinets, Borden, IND.
- Flemming Kitchen Cabinet, Made in Vancouver, Canada
- Galax Furniture & Lumber Co. Galax, VA. “MFRS. of Kitchen Cabinets, Bedroom Suites & Chiffoniers.”-
- Galox Kitchen Cabinet (misspelling) 1914
- Glenwood kitchen Cabinet, Eastern Furniture Co. Bangor, Maine.—1926
- Globe-Bosse-World Furniture Co. “Kitchen Cabinets”.
- Greencastle – Greencastle Cabinet Co., Greencastle, Indiana
- H. C. Niemann & Co. Rockwell St. Chicago, IL
- H. J. Scheirich, Louisville, KY, and Scheirich, Louisville, Kentucky.
- Haire Kitchen Cabinet, The, The Haire Kitchen Cabinet Co. Bristol, TENN
- Ham Brothers Mfg. Kitchen Cabinets. Brandford, Ont.
- Harris – Brown table Co, Greenwood, Miss — Patented item? Sept 9, 1912
- Harrison’s Patent Kitchen Cabinet. 1900
- Hartman’s white beauty “Comfort” Kitchen Cabinet
- Hastings, Hastings Cabinet Company, Hastings, Michigan. (Alme?)
- Hathaway Kitchen Cabinets, Carbondale, Pa. 1895
- Haverty, Haverty Furniture Co. Atlanta, GA.
- Helpmate Cabinet Co. The, Little Rock Furniture Manu. Co. Little Rock, ARK.
- Hoosier Manufacturing Co. New Castle, Indiana
- Hoover-Bond, Store brand, Hoover-Bond store, Lansing, Mich.
- HOPPER Brand Kitchen Cabinet Cupboard, Sioux City, Iowa.
- Hudson Bay Company, The. Kitchen Cabinets, 1914
- Hygena, Liverpool, England. 1930
- Hygeno Sanitary Steel kitchen Cabinet. 1917
- Ideal – Vincennes, Indiana, Vincennes Furniture Manufacturers, Vincennes Indiana.
- I-X-L furniture Co (Goshen IN) 1916
- JAP Sanitary Kitchen Cabinets “made in Cinn. “The Cincinnati Fly Screen Co. 1911
- Joering and Pelchmann Co. St Louis, MO
- John Thomas, “Manufacture of Kitchen Cabinets, Galveston, Indiana”
- Justrite Cupboards & Kitchen Cabinets, Indiana Furniture Company, Evansville, IN 1915
- Kelly foundry and Machine, Goshen, IN
- Kemper Brothers, Founded in Feb 9, 1926 – Richmond, IN/Cincinnati, OH. —-
- Keystone, Littlestown, PA Example with clock
- King Mantel & Furniture Co. Knoxville, Tenn.
- Kinkead Combination Kitchen cabinet, B.F. Kinkead, Inventor/Mfg. Emporia, KS. 1900
- Kitchen Maid, Wasmuth-Endicott, Andrews, IND.
- Kitchen ola, “The Master Cabinet” “The McDougal Masterpiece”
- Kitchen Queen, unknown, 1930
- Kitchenaid, The H. E. Furniture Co., Limited, “Kitchenaid”, Milverton, Ontario 1913
- KLANKE furniture co. New Bremen, Ohio. 1908
- Klemp Furniture Co. The H. W., Leavenworth, Kansas. (often misspelled KEMP)
- Knechtel Kitchen Kabinet Co. Western Ontario, Ca. 1925
- Kompass & Stoll Co. Niles, MI. 1905
- Kozy_Kitch The Electric Kitchenet Co. Fort Wayne, IN 1922
- Kuchins Furn. Mfg. Co., St. Louis, MO “3 K Kitchen Cabinet, Keep, Kitchen, Kleen”
- Lambeth Furniture Co. Thomasville, N.C. “kitchen cabinets” 1921
- Landau Cabinet Co, St Louis, Mo 1912
- Leo Kahn Furniture Co. Memphis, Tenn. “Kitchen Cabinets” 1921
- Little Rock Furniture Manufacturing Co., Little rock, Ark. 1915
- Manson Cambell Company, The, Chatham, ONT. Detroit Mich.
- Marion Cabinet Co. The, by Dearborn Desk Manufacturing Co, Marion, IN.
- Marsh – High Point, North Carolina (Marsh Furniture Company) 1924–38
- McAnsh, Dwyer & Co. Chicago, IL. 1905
- McClernan Metal Products Co. Dept H. 122S. Michigan Ave. Chicago, ILL
- McClure. Marion, IN 1912
- McDougald different spelling different company 1908
- McDougall Co. “Domestic Science, cabinet line made by McDougall Co. Frankfort, Ind.
- Miller’s BULT-RITE Line, Stoneville Cabinet Co, Stoneville, N.C.
- Monarch & Cabinets (from label on cabinet) different than below
- Monarch Brand, The, L. Harbach’s Sons Co. Des Moines, Iowa 1928
- Mother Hubbard’s New Cupboards, The Cardinal Cabinet Co. Wabash, IN.
- Mutschler Bros. Manufacturing, Nappanee, IN. 1928
- Napanee Dutch Kitchenet, Nappanee, IN (Coppes, Zook & Mutschler, Coppes Bros. & Zook, Coppes, INC.)
- National” Cabinet, The National Screen & Manu. Co. Cincinnati, OH.
- None Better 1911-15
- Ohio State Stove & Mfg. Co. The, Columbus, Ohio (Royal Ossco all steel kitchen cabinet)
- Oxford- 1930’s, Oxford, PA
- Paul Manufacturing Co. Fort Wayne, IN “goes out of kitchen cabinet Business, 1915”
- Perfection Colonial Cabinet Co. 2616 N. 15th St. St. Louis, MO. 1915
- Platter Beauty Cabinet, North Vernon, Ind. Kitchen & bath room
- Purity Kitchen Cabinet, Louisville, KY 1924
- Quaker Valley Mfg. Co. Chicago, IL 1899
- Red Wing Cabinet Co. Red Wing, Minn. 1917
- Royal Ossce, Metal Cabinet, sold in Dayton, Ohio 1916
- Ruddy’s Single Step kitchen Cabinet. Ruddy Mfg. Co. Brantford, Ont. 1926
- Scheirich kitchen Cabinets “Unexcelled” 5 styles 1949
- Schmoe, C. F., Diamond Special Kit. Cab. Shelbyville, IN 1914
- Sellers – Elwood, Indiana, had lines named Kitcheneed & Mastercraft
- Showers Brothers Furniture Co. – Bloomington, Indiana
- Spiegel’s kitchen cabinets. 1905
- Springfield Model Kitchen Cabinet, Springfield Furniture Co., Springfield, MO
- Square Rand, Chittenden & Eastman Co. on, IOWA,
- Sutter kitchen cabinet, Michigan, 1913
- Tippycanoe, The, “The Tipp Bldg. & Mfg. Co. Tippycanoe City, Ohio. “Tippycanoe Kitchen Cabinets”,
- Van Sciver Co. J. B., Camden, N.J.
- W.B. Gifford Furniture Company
- Wayne Cabinet, The, Sold in Dayton, Ohio. “Solid Oak” (Store Brand ?)
- White Barton Cabinet Company
- White House Kitchen Cabinet, The, 1914
- Wilson – Grand Rapids, Michigan (sold by Sears)
- Unsure of the following
- Quality KIND, The, Schmitt & Henry Mfg. Co., Des Moines, Iowa
- Dearborn Mfg. Co. Chicago. 1925 Newspaper ads. used words kitchen cabinets only?
- Kitchen Cabinets made by T. R. Chambers, Maryville, Tenn. 1896
- Following are possible store brands of Hoosier Style Kitchen Cabinets:
- “Barbara Blount”, “our own private trademark”, Fowler Brothers Co. Knoxville, 1933
- “Kitchenola”, Master Cabinet, The National Store, Washington D. C. 1915
- “LIK-A-MAID” kitchen cabinets, 1922
- Borden Kitchen Cabinet
- Eagle Kitchen Cabinet, Rhodes-Collins Furniture Co., Pensacola, FL
- Ferguson Special Cabinet, Ferguson Bros. Store, Coffeyville, KS
- Gold Metal K. C. “Mail & Breese Kitchen Cabinet Club”. Topeka, KS
- Hoover-Bond, Store brand, Hoover-Bond Furniture Store, Lansing, Mich
- May-Sterns kitchen cabinets 1905
- Paul Furniture Co. Fort Wayne, In out of business 1915
- Quaker kitchen cabinet 1898 – 1912
- Sherman kitchen cabinets
- Shryock
- W. E. Kitchen Cabinet, 1914, Davis Furniture Co. Uniontown, PA
- Wayne Kitchen Cabinet, From Dayton, Ohio
Related information
Tinware, & Hardware for kitchen cabinets was made by McCormick Bros. Co. Albany, Ind. Ingram-Richardson Co. Frankfort, IN. Manufactures of PORCILIRON work surfaces for Hoosier Mfg. Co. Vitreous Products Company, Nappanee, In – made porcelain tops for Napanee Dutch Kitchenet