Kitchen Capital of the World

At one time, Nappanee was the Kitchen Capital of the World! We were one of the largest kitchen cabinet making cities in the country. It started in 1873 when a sawmill was one of Nappanee's first industries, and it was a thriving business owned by John C. Mellinger and Frank Meyers. They started by sawing railroad ties and also supplied lumber for other purposes. In 1876, Frank and John Coppes joined J.C. Mellinger as partners in the sawmill. In its heyday, it operated day and night. Frank was nineteen and John was seventeen at the time. In 1880, the Coppes Brothers purchased Joseph Strohm’s Planing Mill and Box Factory.