Cosmo Buttermilk Soap Company

In June 1896, J.J. Burns, an Ohio native with a canny business mind, opened the Cosmo Buttermilk Soap Company in Goshen, Indiana. The production building - constructed expressly to facilitate Burns' new business - took up nearly 80,000 square feet of space. Inside, workers manufactured laundry soap, fine bathing soap and toilet paper.

The factory, along with the city's fledgling electric railway, got its energy from the power plant located on-site: a 125 horse power Bates Cordless engine powering a 300 light dynamo.

Another railroad track, running directly into the plant, carted monthly shipments of goods away to New York and other faraway places.

Chase Bag Factory

In 1910, the plant was renovated and purchased by The Chicago-Detroit Bag Company. A 1924 merger put the building under the control of the Chase Bag Factory, and the factory became part of a colossal enterprise. The Goshen plant was one of the largest and most important of the 15 plants owned by the company. It was their specialty products division. The range of bags extended from waterproof burlap sacks to the fine, sheer paper used in Hershey's Kiss wrappers.

The term "bagology" was coined during this period, meaning "to elevate the production bags to the level of science." However, after many years of triumph and success, the churning wheels of baglogical science caused the building to become outdated; the Bag Factory closed its doors in 1982, after a long, slow decline.

The Old Bag Factory

When Larion and Nancy Swartzendruber purchased the abandoned factory in 1984, the building was all but a heap of ruins. Birds had taken residence on every level, along with some four-legged creatures. The electricity and plumbing systems were no longer functional. Wind and weather had taken their toll. But, much like J.J. Burns himself, Larion and Nancy had a vision for factory - one that could not be easily dismissed, despite all the wreckage and debris.

The Swartzendrubers proceeded to resuscitate the building by investing priceless hours of hard work and commitment. The floors were transformed with a glossy wood finish. The railroad track became a cheerful outdoor walkway. Soon, woodcraft and pottery started pouring into the building, along with jewelry, candles, baked goods, and more - the handiwork of skilled artisans who vowed to make this space their own. With each new artist's entry, the Old Bag Factory took another breath, struggled less to stay alive.

Once again, the Old Bag Factory thrives on craft and commerce. The means and rate of production have changed, but the vision remains the same. Now, instead of transporting goods by train, the Old Bag Factory's artists and merchants can send their crafts away in - what else? - shopping bags.