Contributed by Teresa Douglass, Genealogy Specialist
The classic icon of “Rosie the Riveter” has come to symbolize the power and capabilities of women. The symbol originated during World War II as millions of women entered the paid workforce in order to address the labor shortage created by men entering the military. The women primarily filled factory jobs that had previously been male-dominated positions.
Harrison County had its share of “Rosies,” as twenty local women joined the workforce at the Keller Manufacturing Plant in Corydon. Due to a shortage of available men, the company employed women in a few positions, and once they proved satisfactory, more women were employed. Their work included operations on stock for furniture, for walk-in refrigerators, and for truck bodies. The factory shift was from 7 am to 5 pm. The Keller Company acknowledged that in a week’s time, the work turned out by the twenty women compared favorably with the work done by twenty men on similar machines.
Below, Blanche Knight, Anna Shireman, and Ruby Windell demonstrate their capabilities in 1943.
Blanche Knight operates a variety saw, Anna Shireman uses a drill, and Ruby Windell prepares products for shipment at the Keller Manufacturing Company in Corydon, Indiana, in 1943. For these and similar images, visit our “People at Work” collection: https://cdm17251.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p17251coll23
