Did you know that Lew Wallace was crazy about fishing? Lew had a moat on two sides of the Study and stocked it so he could fish from the back porch. In the winter, he could fire up the coal furnace in the Study basement and stick his fishing pole […]
Lew Wallace
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As a youth, Lew Wallace managed to develop a reputation as a truant and a rascal. He used any number of excuses to avoid education and undertake adventure in the great outdoors. He joined “The Red Eye and the Hay Press Club,” a group of boys who met in a […]
Part of the work of an historian is to record and preserve all history, not just the pleasant parts. This post recounts a scandalous event involving Lew Wallace’s brother William. The scandal that enveloped the Indianapolis National Bank also affected many of Indiana’s most influential people. The Indianapolis National Bank […]
In 1865, Lew Wallace played a role in two important trials at the conclusion of the Civil War. He served as a judge on the tribunal handling the case against the Lincoln Conspirators. In addition, he served as the lead judge in the trial of Commander Henry Wirz of Andersonville. […]
Lew Wallace and his brother William each married women from prominent families. These marriages brought prestige, money, and important Hoosier connections to the Wallace family. They were not, however, the only sons of David Wallace to marry well. David had six children with his second wife, Zerelda. Three of these […]
The first official Indiana Governor’s mansion was located in Corydon, the first state capital. This home stood on a small rise overlooking the Statehouse. It served as home to Governor Jonathan Jennings and his wife, Ann, from 1816 until 1822. While the home no longer stands, it hosted important social […]
Teaching is a noble profession and many times a student will ultimately outshine the instructor. Such was the case with Jacob Cox, who taught painting. Jacob Cox Jacob was born in 1810 in Philadelphia. He arrived in Indianapolis as a young man in 1833. He opened a business selling tin […]
The years from 1880 to 1920 are often recognized as the Golden Age of Indiana Authors. There had been well respected Hoosier authors before 1880 and certainly many literary leaders in the years after 1920, but beginning with Lew Wallace and his book Ben-Hur, there was an outpouring of best […]
At least eight important sculptors (not counting the General himself) have contributed to the artistry of the General Lew Wallace Study. Inside the building reside a bust of Wallace created by Randolph Rogers, a statue of Ben-Hur the galley slave done by George Peterson in 1888, and two plaster studies […]
One hundred and fifty years ago in April of 1862, the Battle of Shiloh raged in Tennessee. Considered one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, it saw its share of men who would go down in history. Some of these men would be remembered for their valor that […]