Lew Wallace spent the Christmas holidays in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1876. He wasn’t there to enjoy the sunshine and orange groves—rather, he was there as a “visiting statesman” for the Republican Party in the fallout of one of the most contested Presidential elections in history. It was, in fact, even […]
Lew Wallace
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In 1907, an interview with General Lew Wallace was published giving some insight into his habits and personal beliefs. The brief interview had taken place a few years earlier when Wallace was on the lecture circuit. Here are some interesting excerpts: He has himself described his daily habits: ‘I begin to write […]
We had a fun little research project today and learned something new about Lew. I wanted to share it with all of you so you get a glimpse behind the scenes at how we are still learning stuff about Lew’s history. One of our members kindly brought a picture for us to […]
Susan Elston Wallace was one of the nine children born to Isaac & Maria Elston. One of her sisters was Helen Elston Blair, who built the Gothic Revival home at the corner of Wallace and Wabash in Crawfordsville. Helen had a niece named Rose Blair Marsh. Rose came to know […]
In 1864, Maryland had a series of important elections, resulting in emancipation of Maryland’s slaves. Lew Wallace was instrumental in making sure the elections went smoothly without interference. Over the course of the war, Lew had become an abolitionist. In an 1862 speech Lew gave in Evansville, he said, “this […]
Tomorrow is the anniversary of Lew’s death in 1905. Lew died at his home in Crawfordsville on February 15. Wallace Scholar Chandler Lighty at the Indiana Historic Newspaper Digitization Project has a great blog post about Lew Wallace’s obituary. The post collects several of Lew’s obituaries from across the country. […]
On May 30, 1881, Lew Wallace boarded a rail car on the Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe to leave New Mexico Territory. Lew had calmed the Territory during his term in office from 1878 through 1881, and his tenure in office was considered successful. He accomplished much in addressing […]
Lew Wallace is widely remembered for the successful movie interpretations of his masterwork Ben-Hur in 1925 and 1959. These were not the only times the General’s name (and even the General) showed up in Hollywood movies. In 1914, Wallace’s book, The Prince of India, was adapted as a silent movie. […]
Lew Wallace was what today would be called an alternative learner. In his much-less-polite day, many in Indianapolis referred to Lew, the governor’s son, as rascal and worse. As a youth running around the capital city, Lew and his friends found their way into the basement of the governor’s house. […]
Gifts from the Sultan Lew Wallace’s tour of duty as envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the Ottoman Empire ended in 1884. His friend, Sultan Abdul Hamid II, offered Lew a number of gifts. These included Arabian horses, jewels, and works of art. As a representative of the government of […]