In the summer of 1864, John W. Garrett, President of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad came to see General Lew Wallace. Mr. Garrett expressed concern for the safety of Washington (as well as his railroad). His personnel were reporting detachments of Confederate troops in the Shenandoah Valley and, according to […]
Blog
454 posts
Throughout his life Lew Wallace had a deep interest in the creative arts. He created original works of art and he acquired works by others. One of the most recognizable works he acquired was a bust of himself created by the famed American sculptor, Randolph Rogers. The museum is fortunate […]
In the mid-1870s, Lew Wallace was drafting a short story about the three wise men and their journey guided by the Star of Bethlehem. The story was intended for publication in Harper’s—one of the most important magazines of the 19th century. Serialized stories that carried from one issue to the next […]
Robert Todd Lincoln was the eldest of Abraham and Mary Lincoln’s four sons. When his father was elected President in 1860, Robert was in college at Harvard. He participated in some of the inaugural celebrations but returned to his studies and for the next several years visited the White House […]
Moral of this story: Don’t believe everything you read when it comes to Lew Wallace. Wallace was comfortable with firearms and by all accounts was a capable shot. In his youth, dueling was a matter of honor practiced by some of the leading men of the day. At least three […]
Isaac Compton Elston, Sr. died unexpectedly in October of 1867 shortly after returning to Crawfordsville from a trip. For many years, his daughter Susan and son-in-law Lew Wallace had lived in homes owned by Isaac. The last home that Lew and Susan lived in, in the 1860s was located on […]
Lew Wallace was always good for an interview and seldom shy to wade into a discussion. Just a month before he died when his health was rapidly failing, Lew waded into a discussion on statehood for New Mexico. At the time he was interviewed and gave his opinions, it looked […]
Late last week we learned that Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko, former director of the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum, had been admitted to hospice. To our sorrow, Cinnamon passed away over the weekend. According to a press release from the Illinois State Museum, she had been struggling with an aggressive resurgence […]
On Thursday, October 27, Peter Hatch presented “Thomas Jefferson’s Revolutionary Garden at Monticello.” Hatch is the Director Emeritus of Gardens & Grounds for the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. He was responsible for maintenance, interpretation, and restoration of the 2,400-acre landscape at Monticello from 1977 to 2012. Thomas Jefferson wrote that “the […]
We are planning a return to in-person programming in the summer and fall of 2022. Our Hoosier Authors Book Club resumes in-person meetings at the Carriage House this July. The book club will also meet in early August. The TASTE of Montgomery County is scheduled for Saturday, August 27. You […]