General Lew Wallace Study & Museum

Hoosier Authors Book Club - The Port of Missing Men by Meredith Nicholson
2025-06-26 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Indiana/Indianapolis) | General Lew Wallace Study & Museum, 200 Wallace Ave., Crawfordsville, IN, 47933, United States
The third book club selection of the 2025 Hoosier Authors Book Club is Meredith Nicholson’s The Port of Missing Men and will meet on June 26. Published in 1907, the story is set in the early 1900s and follows the life of a wealthy young man named John Keith, who embarks on a sea voyage to the Philippines in search of adventure and romance. Things take a dark turn when Keith’s ship is wrecked on a deserted island, and he becomes stranded with a group of survivors. As they struggle to survive, Keith begins to uncover a sinister plot involving a group of missing men who were last seen in the same area. With the help of a beautiful young woman named Hope, Keith sets out to unravel the mystery and uncover the truth behind the missing men. The novel is a thrilling adventure story that explores themes of love, betrayal, and redemption. It also delves into the complexities of human nature and the lengths that people will go in order to achieve their goals. The Port of Missing Men is a classic tale of survival and intrigue that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very end.
The book is available for purchase here.

Hoosier Authors Book Club - "Some Memories of a Long Life" by Malvina Shanklin Harlan
2025-09-18 19:00 - 20:30 | General Lew Wallace Study & Museum, 200 Wallace Ave., Crawfordsville, IN, 47933, United States
On Thursday, September 1, the Hoosier Authors Book Club will be reading Some Memories of a Long Life by Malvina Shanklin Harlan. Like Abigail Adams, Malvina Shanklin Harlan witnessed—and gently influenced—national history from the unique perspective of a political leader’s wife. Her husband, Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan (1833–1911), played a central role in some of the most significant civil rights decisions of his era, including his lone dissenting opinion in Plessy v. Ferguson, the infamous case that endorsed separate but equal segregation. And for fifty-seven years he was married to a woman who was busy making a mental record of their eventful lives.
After Justice Harlan’s death in 1911, Malvina wrote Some Memories of a Long Life, 1854–1911, as a testament to her husband’s accomplishments and to her own. The memoir begins with Malvina, the daughter of passionate abolitionists, becoming the teenage bride of John Marshall Harlan, whose family owned more than a dozen slaves. Malvina depicts her life in antebellum Kentucky, and her courageous defense of the Harlan homestead during the Civil War. She writes of her husband’s ascent in legal circles and his eventual appointment to the Supreme Court in 1877, where he was the author of opinions that continued to influence American race relations deep into the twentieth century. Yet Some Memories is more than a wife’s account of a famous and powerful man. It chronicles the remarkable evolution of a young woman from Indiana who became a keen observer of both her family’s life and that of her nation.
When Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg began researching the history of the women associated with the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress sent her Malvina Harlan’s unpublished manuscript. Justice Ginsburg wrote the forward for this biography.

Hoosier Authors Book Club - "The Witchery of Archery" by Maurice Thompson
2025-10-23 19:00 - 20:30 | General Lew Wallace Study & Museum, 200 Wallace Ave., Crawfordsville, IN, 47933, United States
The last book club selection for the year will be discussed on Thursday, October 23. It is The Witchery of Archery by Maurice Thompson. Written in 1878, this was the first book in English about hunting with bow and arrow ever published. Thompson was from Crawfordsville and one of Lew Wallace’s closest friends. It was the first important book about archery written in English since Toxophilus, which was written in 1545. It was said that Witchery “…has as much effect on archery as Uncle Tom’s Cabin had on the Civil War and it made Crawfordsville the worldwide center for archery for decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. When Thompson wrote The Witchery of Archery, he filled it with various stories, many of which were humorous. However, it also gave practical advice on the sport, such as the manufacturing of archery paraphernalia and how to use the equipment while hunting. This is sure to be a different kind of read, written right here in Crawfordsville. A book that added to both our legacy as the Athens of Indiana and to Indiana during the Golden Age of Hoosier Authors.

2025 Lew Wallace Hoosier Author Fair
2025-11-29 17:00 - 20:00 | Fusion54, 101 W. Main, Crawfordsville, IN, 47933, United States
Each year, the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum hosts a gathering of regional authors for the Lew Wallace Hoosier Author Fair. The event is free and open to the public. Authors will have their books and related merchandise for sale and are happy to sign copies and chat with readers.
This year’s Lew Wallace Hoosier Author Fair will be held in conjunction with Crawfordsville Main Street’s Downtown Party Night on Saturday, November 29, from 5-8 pm on the 3rd floor of Fusion 54, located at 101 W. Main Street.
2025 Authors (as of Nov. 1)
Attending authors represent several genres of writing, including science fiction, fantasy, romance, Indiana history, nonfiction, poetry, mystery, politics, and
Christian living.
Laura VanArendonk Baugh is an award-winning writer of fiction, mystery, and non-fiction. Her works have earned numerous accolades including praise from Publishers Weekly.
Robert Bowling is a retired police officer and local historian. He is the author of Wicked Fishers and a contributing author to Celebrating Hamilton County, Indiana: 200 Years of Change. He serves as a historical researcher for the Officer Down Memorial Page and an ambassador to the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund.
Josh A. Brewer teaches creative writing and literature at Purdue University. His work appears in Harvard Review, Southeast Review, Bluestem, Existere, and Poets Against War. His books include Writers Resist: Hoosier Writers Unite (2017) and When is a Will (2022). He has taught English at the University of Miami, University of South Carolina, and Tennessee State University.
Agata Izabela Brewer was born and raised in Poland. A teacher, mother, and activist for immigrant rights, she is Professor of English at Wabash College. Her creative writing has appeared in Guernica and Entropy. The Hunger Book is her first book of creative nonfiction set in communist Poland and contemporary Montgomery County, Indiana.
Stephanie A. Cain writes epic & urban fantasy novels. She grew up in Indiana, where much of her urban fantasy is set. She works at a small liberal arts college and dreams of living somewhere without winter.
Christopher Clouser is an accountant by day, and a prolific author by night. He has written eighteen books, novels, and novellas and one play in the fantasy, science-fiction, mystery, and sports history genres while contributing to several compilations, along with multiple articles in national publications.
Ryan L. Cole is a historian and journalist who has written extensively on American history. His work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, American Heritage, Civil War Journal, Indy Star, among other publications. He newest publication The Last Adieu: Lafayette’s Triumphant Return, the Echoes of the Revolution, and the Gratitude of the Republic looks at the life of Marquis de Lafayette and his final tour of America in 1824.
Quentin Dodd is the award-winning author of supernatural adventure novels such as The Blue Bear, The Leningen Bookplate, and other books for adults and young readers. A fan of ghost stories, monster movies and mysterious old buildings, Quentin tries to write the books he always wanted to read but could never find.
Erin Hayden writes fiction with heart, humor, and a hint of advocacy. With mystery-savvy service dogs and inclusive, relatable characters, Erin’s stories celebrate everyday courage in the face of life’s messier moments.
Juan Manuel Cuevas Herrera was born and raised in the historic Andalusian city of Córdoba. Multifaceted in his own self-discovery as a human being, he has experimented with the photographic arts and a sense of justice. Awarded a decoration for a courageous intervention, he left everything amid the orange blossoms of the Jewish quarter to travel to the other side of the Atlantic.
Wendy Gorton Hill writes book reviews on her blog at www.ofbooksandboys.blogspot.com. Her first book, Watching the Wayward: Psalms for Parents of Prodigals, puts words to the many emotions experienced while watching teen and adult children choose harmful paths.
Katelyn Hook writes clean contemporary romances with heart. She loves stories with redemption, love, and hope. Button Mashers is her
debut novel.
Todd Hosea is an award-winning author and veteran of the United States Air Force. He served at the headquarters for NORAD, USAF Space Command, and NAS Keflavik, Iceland. Tom Clancy and Michael Crichton were big influences. Combining his military experience with a love of science fiction and technothrillers, Todd has
found his niche creating high octane action adventures. His debut novel, Steal the Reaper, was recognized in 2024 by the Military Writers Society of America.
Garrett Hutson writes historical fiction featuring realistic LGBT characters. You can usually find him reading about history, and day-dreaming about being there. This is where his stories are born, and he hopes they transport you the way his imagination transports him.
Krystina K. Leganza has B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mathematics from Miami University (Ohio) and the University of Notre Dame, respectively. She has taught at the university level in Indiana for more than thirty years.
Her childrens books include M is for Math.
Kate Nixon, a lifelong Hoosier, has been writing for over a decade. Her latest book, In the Company of Pets, features stories from her childhood and her mother’s writings. After inheriting a garnet brooch that had been passed down through generations, Kate discovered it was fake. This inspired her to write The Heirloom Brooch, discovering a passion as deep as her love of genealogy. This story became the foundation for her Heirloom Series, written with book club readers in mind.
James Pauley, Jr. spent a college semester in each Guadalajara, Mexico, and Heidelberg, Germany. The experience piqued his interest and lifelong love of international travel. A flight attendant for forty-four years, he is the award-winning author of Bumpy Rides and Soft Landings and the coauthor of An Unconditional Friendship with best-selling author Charlene Potterbaum.
Joseph S. Pete is an award-winning journalist and columnist for The Times of Northwest Indiana who was written three books about the Hoosier State. He is an Indiana University graduate, an Iraq War veteran, the Northwest Indiana Literary Journal editor-in-chief, a frequent contributor to Lakeshore Public Radio, and an executive board member of the Indiana Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and Chicago Headline Club.
Stevie Rector is a supernatural storyteller with a deep fascination for mythology, emotional transformation, and the eerie tension of the human psyche. She crafts immersive narratives exploring resilience, justice, and the shadowed places where monsters—both real and imagined—lurk. Her debut novel, Loki’s Lost Memory, conjures a world of forgotten gods and fractured souls, while her forthcoming book, Anja’s Awakening, sharpens vengeance into poetry. She brings her stories to life through layered dialogue, vivid imagery, and a haunting emotional undercurrent that leaves readers breathless.
Jennifer Huston Schaeffer is an author, editor, and the owner of White Dog Editorial Services. As a youth, she developed a love for reading, writing, and dogs. She is a member of the Independent Authors Network, the Indie Authors Association, the Midwest Independent Publishers Association, the Central Indiana Writers Association, and the Editorial Freelancers Association.
Kelly Shea found a way to break through the pain, frustration, and isolation following a traumatic brain injury through raw and evocative drawings. She begins to express her pain, but it’s only after she dares to join a writing workshop that she finds language and her voice again. What begins as halting expression becomes a journey of healing and a powerful, insightful, and even joyful rediscovery of self. Here, My Voice is personal lyric poetry born from loss, resilience, and an indomitable spirit. With a voice sharpened by struggle and softened by healing, these poems are both confession and bridge, connecting Shea’s inner world to all those who struggle to find the words.
Kelly O’Dell Stanley is a graphic designer and writer. Author of four traditionally published books on faith and creativity, Kelly’s latest book is a memoir. The Artist, Ladoga, Indiana, is the story of moving into the studio of her dad, watercolorist Rob O’Dell, after he passed, and discovering what art can teach us about a life well lived. Her awards include first place in the Writer’s Digest Inspirational Writing contest.
Carrie Steinweg is a freelance writer, food blogger, travel columnist, and author of nine books, including 4 children’s books, three local pictorial histories and one on restaurants in the state of Indiana. She lives in Northwest Indiana with her husband, a retired firefighter and five sons. She also manages a seasonal farmers market.
Sarah Styf is a high school English teacher. When she isn’t working or chasing after busy teenagers, she enjoys writing, running, hiking, and camping with her family.
Three Scribes is a mother/daughters writing team consisting of Sandra Mead Miller, Abigail Bender, and Victoria Hungria. Sandra, in addition to writing about dragons, is an avid supporter of Liverpool F.C., a keeper of hens, and a smiter of non-native flora in her two-acre wood. Abigail and Victoria began building the secondary world of Eolemar in elementary school, a hobby they’ve continued for over two decades. Abigail is also a tea connoisseur, an artist, and an admirer of mycorrhiza. Victoria is a hometown festival-goer and bookshop enthusiast for whom cozy isn’t just a favorite genre, it’s a lifestyle.
Grace Tilney is a romance author that writes sweet stories centered around sports. Her favorite sport is baseball, and she is a huge St. Louis Cardinals fan! She also loves hockey, gymnastics, and the Indiana Fever Women’s Basketball team.
Jamie Ward is the author of Secret Indiana: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure, 100 Things To Do In Indiana Before You Die and co-authored Midwest Road Trip Adventures and Midwest State Park Adventures. She is a writer, travel and food connoisseur, content creator, and CEO of her blog, Cornfields & High Heels.
Ashley Watson writes about haunted history, commonplace books and spooky folklore on her blog NotebookofGhosts.com. In addition, she maintains a newspaper archive of ghost stories proven to be false (sometimes humorously so) at ItWasNotaGhost.com. Ashley shares her passions of photographing cemeteries, making zines, collecting ghosts and Halloween decorations and reading spooky short stories on her popular Instagram account @notebookofghosts.
Dr. Ronda Wells is an award-winning author who writes “Heartfelt Stories from the Heartland.” An avid reader from a young age, her first dream job was a librarian. A Guideposts and Heart of Hospitality magazine contributor, she publishes devotions for Crossmap and Arise Daily. Her debut WW2 romance novella, The Christmas Cherub, released in July, 2025. A sweet nostalgic tale of lovers separated by war, they’re linked by a special cherub which might hold the key for a Christmas miracle.

19th Annual Holiday Tea - A Very Vintage Christmas
2025-12-05 15:00 - 18:00 | General Lew Wallace Study & Museum, 200 Wallace Ave., Crawfordsville, IN, 47933, United States
On December 5, the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum will be celebrating the 19th annual Holiday Tea & Fashion Show. It is a lovely way to welcome the Holiday Season. This event, A Very Vintage Christmas, will offer a twist this year. After long-time participant, heathcliffs, closed earlier this year, we will be offering unique fashions by local, family-owned store Denhart’s Mercantile. We will also be introducing our guests to holiday décor by A Sprig of Lime!
With models showcasing beautiful ensembles, experience the creativity of Denhart’s Mercantile as they offer the latest in fashion—clothing, jewelry & accessories, gifts
and home décor, shoes, boots, and clothing for women, men, children, and grandchildren in your life! Their curated looks are fresh, on-trend, and beautifully accessorized.
The designs by Denhart’s will be complemented by the beautifully decorated Elston Homestead. Holiday decorations, by Kellie Maxwell Algate, owner of A Sprig of Lime, together with Susan Rosen formerly of Milligan’s Flowers & Gifts. They will decorate with a vintage vibe designed to delight and inspire guests.
A Sprig of Lime, formerly Milligan’s Flowers & Gifts, is starting a fresh new tradition in Crawfordsville shopping; they offer fresh flower arrangements and gifts for every occasion. The store carries unique lines of holiday ornaments, special occasion gifts, artwork by local artists, jewelry, and even sweet treats!
To further the Holiday Spirit, the Wabash College T-Tones, under the direction of Juan Hernandez and backed by Cheryl Everett’s piano, will be performing both holiday classics and some delightful, unexpected songs.
Finally, there is the food! Extraordinary sweets and savories, tea and coffee served on fine china and the Elston silver make this a unique event in Crawfordsville. In a very real sense this afternoon of hospitality continues traditions started by Maria Elston, mother of Susan Wallace and Joanna Lane, 190 years ago. Our thanks to Wabash College for helping us host this event. Proceeds from the event support both the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum and the Montgomery County Historical Society/Lane Place. We hope that you can join us!
Tickets can be purchased online or in person at the Carriage House with cash or check.
