Mueller Water Products donates more than 10,000 antique records, objects to Hieronymus Mueller Museum

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Mueller Water Products has donated more than 10,000 antique records and objects to the Hieronymus Mueller Museum.

Mueller has been doing business in Decatur since 1857. That is when German immigrant and machinist, Hieronymus Mueller, first opened a gun and machine shop, which turned into a manufacturer for the water and gas industries.

"This is a historically significant donation," said Katherine Unruh, Museum Director of the Hieronymus Mueller Museum. "We are beyond thrilled and extremely grateful to receive such a treasure trove of historical information and objects from Mueller Water Products."

Chief Executive Officer of Mueller Water Products Martie Edmunds Zakas said, "We are honored to make this contribution to the Hieronymus Mueller Museum. Not only do these records, photographs, and other artifacts shed light on the remarkable man and inventor Hieronymus was, but they also provide insight into the employees who helped build Mueller Water Products into the great company it is today.

"This donation ensures that Hieronymus' legacy will be preserved for both current and future generations, while honoring the contributions of those who helped develop the City of Decatur."

Some of the donated items include:

10,000 antique employee records from 1900-1945
Dozens of photographs of employees from the 1940s and 1950s
A grandfather clock that once sat in the Mueller Company board room
Copies of Mueller Company's war contracts during World War II
Two dozen original U.S. patent letters awarded to Mueller family members and company members, including the 1872 patent letter awarded to Hieronymus Mueller for one of his best-known inventions: the Drilling and Tapping Machine

The objects and documents are not on display at this time. They are being catalogued into the museum collection.

"As for the antique employee records, it will take a few years before the museum staff can digitally scan them, collect them into a searchable database, and make them accessible to the public," said Unruh. "The museum hopes to make that a reality in the years ahead."