The play Ben-Hur opened on Broadway in 1899. Edward Morgan took the stage as Ben-Hur and William S. Hart portrayed Messala. Lew Wallace attended the opening night performance at the Broadway Theater and, like the rest of the audience, was pleased with the dramatic presentation of his work. An opening […]
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Lew Wallace was not the only famous member of the 11th Indiana Volunteers during the Civil War. Colonel Dan Macauley also became famous. His face graced the cover of the sheet music for the “The 11th Indiana Quickstep” a toe-tapping song composed for the piano by Hubert J. Schonacker in […]
Lew Wallace knew each of the three American presidents assassinated during his lifetime. Abraham Lincoln had known Wallace and members of his family for years and was personally involved in aspects of Wallace’s Civil War career. James Garfield had come to know Wallace during the Civil War, through Republican Party […]
Off Wabash Avenue on the east side of Crawfordsville is Canby Avenue. It is one of the few local reminders of E.R.S. Canby, a local boy, friend of Lew Wallace, and one of Crawfordsville’s five Civil War generals. The Canby family settled in Crawfordsville in the 1830s and lived in […]
In downtown Indianapolis a number of historic markers recognize the contributions of Lew Wallace and his family. One of the markers recognizes Wallace’s selection of the site of Indianapolis’ Civil War camp 1861. Today, the area is known as the Herron-Morton neighborhood, but in 1861 it was on the outskirts […]
When Lew Wallace courted Susan Elston in the late 1840s and early 1850s, he was pursuing a daughter of one of the richest men in Indiana. By all accounts, Susan adored Lew and was thrilled by his attention. Her very business-like father, however, was not so enamored. Lew had something […]
During observances of the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor this week it was announced that at the end of this year, the national association known as the Pearl Harbor Survivors Group will disband. As this group of men and women who shared a unique war-time distinction fades away, it harkens […]
Holiday Tea Raises Necessary Funds for Lew Wallace Study The General Lew Wallace Study & Museum hosted their 5th Annual Holiday High Tea & Fashion Show in two of Crawfordsville’s most beautiful historic homes on Friday, December 2, from 3-6 p.m. Over 130 guests took in the sights, sounds and delicious […]
This holiday season, revelers will get a rare opportunity to see two of Crawfordsville’s most prestigious historic homes decked out in Christmas finery during the 5th Annual Holiday High Tea & Fashion Show, a fundraiser for the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum, on Friday, December 2 from 3:00-6:00 p.m. […]
Throughout his life, Lew Wallace had a deep interest in the creative arts. He created original works of art and acquired works by others. One of the most recognizable works he acquired was a bronze bust of himself created by the famed American sculptor, Randolph Rogers. Randolph Rogers signed the […]