Indiana’s Glittering Legacy: Exploring the Indiana Glass Trail

Warsaw Cut Glass, Kosciusko County © Courtesy of Indiana Glass Trail

Indiana’s Glittering Legacy: Exploring the Indiana Glass Trail

Did you know that Indiana has a rich legacy of glassmaking that stretches back over a century? The old-fashioned craft of glass blowing has shaped Indiana’s history and culture. The Indiana Glass Trail, a network spanning eight counties, offers a captivating journey through this tradition, showcasing the skill and artistry of contemporary glass artists while honoring the industry’s storied past.

Hand-Held History

The story began in 1886 when natural gas was found during a drilling expedition in Howard County. The 20-foot flame lit up the dark sky that night, setting off a chain of successful exploratory wells. By the following year, several gas companies had formed, and the Indiana Natural Gas Company, one of the largest, had more than 23,000 acres leased and 475 gas-producing wells. Automobile, tin, glass, and other manufacturing companies launched and boomed, and Indiana’s legacy in glassmaking had been launched.

Firms such as the Indiana Glass Company in Dunkirk devoted their plants to producing pressed and blown decorative glass—a more-than-worthy endeavor, as the need for functional glass was quickly rising. More and more glass factories opened their doors, and Indiana’s glass fortunes expanded statewide. In fact, did you know that the Root Glass Company designed and produced the original Coca-Cola bottles in Terre Haute? But that’s not all—today, Indiana’s highest-profile functional glassmaker is just outside Muncie, in Dunkirk.

Ardagh, founded in Dublin in 1932 as the Irish Glass Bottle Company, now operates in 26 countries, employs 22,000 people, and produces three million longneck beer bottles daily for AB InBev, the parent company of Budweiser. That means when you’re enjoying a cold beer on a hot day, you’re holding a piece of Indiana’s glass-blowing history.

From Gas Wells to Glass Masterpieces

But Indiana’s glassmaking prowess extended beyond utilitarian bottles and cans. Now, when we think of glass-blowing, we think of art—and Kokomo Opalescent Glass, founded in 1888, played a pivotal role in this shift. Indiana’s art glass community was launched in 1888 when Charles Edward Henry, a glass chemist known for glass buttons, novelties, and opalescent glass rods, heard about the gas boom in Central Indiana and took a trip to Kokomo.

Within days, Kokomo Opalescent Glass was born, and with it, a new legacy of artistry. The same year Kokomo opened its doors, the first shipment of sheet glass went to Louis Tiffany. It included 600 pounds of blue and white opalescent glass. Kokomo continues to supply renowned artists like Tiffany with exquisite materials for their stained glass creations. Today, the company continues to thrive, preserving its heritage through its original “recipes” while embracing innovation in its Hot Glass Studio. There, the company’s glass blowers create one-of-a-kind and limited edition functional and sculptural glass objects and rondels.

Take on the Trail

Indiana’s glass-blowing history is filled with stories like these, and there’s no better way to soak them all in than taking a tour of the Indiana Glass Trail. Dozens of Indiana glass artists, some in business for decades in and around the former Trenton Gas Field in east central Indiana, continue to thrive and have stories to share. Artists and craftsmen have created work for over a century to establish Indiana as home to remarkable, functional, and decorative glass. Connecting a trail of eight counties, the Indiana Glass Trail links today’s artists and glass-related attractions throughout East Central Indiana, bringing together the tradition and beauty of glass art to experience it first-hand.

From artist studios and blown glass demonstrations to glass-focused festivals and glass museums and classes to the oldest glassworks in the United States, this family-friendly trail highlights it all. Glass lovers have plenty to see and do in Indiana, and the trail brings it all together!