Vigo County Historical Society

The jukebox existed long before Glenn Miller’s "Juke Box Saturday Night" swing version.

The early model of the famous jukebox that transformed drug stores, taverns, ice cream parlors and small dance halls into performance halls for the great bands of any era is displayed in the Hulman Meeting Room on the lower floor of the Vigo County Historical Museum.

It has space for 12 records (of the 78 rpm variety) and plays on one side only. Later models played both sides of the 78 rpm or 45 rpm records.

Pictured is a Mills Automatic Phonograph, manufactured by the Mills Novelty Co., Chicago, the leading manufacturer of jukeboxes, pinball games and slot machines for decades. The machine was patented in 1916 in the United States and in 1928 in France.

The speaker is at the bottom and the small electric motor is inside at the side of the large Ferris wheel-type carrier of the record turntables (one for each record). Selections were made center front and the nickel inserted at the left.

For more than two generations the jukebox has provided entertainment for all ages.