Search thousands of records from The History Museum’s collections, including photographs, documents, and artifacts. The museum is constantly adding new material, and currently only a small amount of our 600,000+ artifacts are currently available online. Come back soon to see what’s new or contact us to schedule a research appointment!

Colfax Collection

Schuyler Colfax is undoubtedly the most notable political figure in the history of the St. Joseph River Valley. An ardent abolitionist, he is best known for his role as Speaker of the House under Abraham Lincoln and Vice President under Ulysses S. Grant. Colfax was instrumental in many political achievements, including the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment [read], which abolished slavery in the United States. The History Museum has one of the largest collections of Colfax-related letters, photographs, and other artifacts, and the entire collection can be viewed online.