Harrison Hall takes visitors back in time

Photo By Sgt. William Hill | Master Sgt. Brian Williamson, the infantry branch chief for the Indiana Regional Training Institute, gives a brief history lesson on the Harrison family during the opening of Harrison Hall Jan. 9. The hall is located in the Indiana Regional Training Institute on Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center.  

CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, UNITED STATES

01.09.2011

Story by Sgt. William Hill 

Camp Atterbury Indiana

CAMP ATTERBURY JOINT MANEUVER TRAINING CENTER, Ind. - Maj. Gen. R. Martin Umbarger, the adjutant general of the Indiana National Guard, announced the opening of the Harrison Hall, located in the Indiana Regional Training Institute on Camp Atterbury Joint Maneuver Training Center, with a red-ribbon cutting Jan. 9.

Harrison Hall features memorabilia from the Harrison family and their
contributions to Indiana and national history while welcoming students and visitors to the RTI. The hall also serves as a place for visitors to see the importance of studying history to better understand current events in a relaxing atmosphere.

Harrison Halls honors the memory of the three Harrisons who have served the country in various ways. Benjamin Harrison V was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and a founder of the United States. His son, William Henry Harrison, was an ensign under Anthony Wayne when he was on campaign in the Northwest Territory and was later the first governor of the Indiana Territory. He was later a commander at the Battle of Tippecanoe, a general during the War of 1812 and later the 9th president of the United States.

His grandson, Benjamin Harrison, was an attorney in Indianapolis, an officer in the 70th Indiana Infantry Regiment and a general later in the Civil War as well as the 23rd president of the United States.

Master Sgt. Brian Williamson, the infantry branch chief for the Indiana RTI, also known as the "History Guy," was a perfect match for managing this project given his background in history and museums.

"I am the technical director at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art and have been there since 1987," said Williamson. "I work in the curatorial department, but normally don't curate exhibits at the Art Museum, but I do make exhibits at the Museum of the Soldier [Portland, Ind.]. Having a history and museum background made me a natural fit to do this project."

He said, the project took about six months of researching, planning and
creating display cases to complete. Williamson said the willingness of his civilian job employers to support the work at the hall was instrumental in getting the work done on time.

"With the help of director of the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Charles Sheppard, who allowed me to work on the project using museum facilities, we were able to maximize the money spent [on the hall] by me being able to make the display cases and do the matting and framing myself," Williamson said. Williamson said his favorite exhibit is the Battle of Tippecanoe display case.

"Many historians place that battle as the opening shots of the War of 1812. I visited the battlefield as part of the research for the project and was intrigued to find that the battle site just a very few miles north east of Lafayette, Ind. has always been protected and undisturbed," he said. "The case features a reproduction of an infantry non-commissioned officer's uniform with a 1795 U.S. musket, the first U.S. contract long arm - which is the arm depicted on the Infantry Branch Insignia."

Williamson said while the items in the hall provide an interesting historical exhibit featuring art and artifacts, everything on display is newly-made reproduction items. The firearms are non-firing replicas which are in no way a security issue or original endangered artifacts.

• Date Taken: 01.09.2011
• Date Posted: 01.11.2011 12:39
• Story ID: 63366
• Location: CAMP ATTERBURY, IN, US