Our 2020 annual exhibit, “Suffrage and Sovereignty: David, Esther, and Zerelda Wallace,” covered a great variety of topics. With visitation down because of COVID restrictions, Museum staff want to share additional resources with our virtual visitors. As we research our exhibits, we always compile much more information than we […]
David Wallace
11 posts
Lane Place holds a secure spot in the history of Crawfordsville because of its association with Henry Lane and his wife Joanna Elston Lane. For Lew Wallace and Susan Elston it held a special place in their hearts because it was where they first really came to know each other […]
According to the Department of Defense, Armed Forces Day was created in 1949, which means Lew would never have celebrated it. It would probably have been an important holiday to him, however. Lew was very proud of his military service and remained active in veterans’ associations and war memorial efforts. […]
We talk a lot about Lew and Susan Wallace here at the blog, but someone who isn’t mentioned often is Lew’s father David Wallace. David attended West Point Military Academy and began practicing law in Indiana in 1823. He served in the Indiana State Legislature from 1828 to 1830. In […]
Sometimes history remembers an educator less for their accomplishments than for the history made by their students. Such is the case with Samuel K. Hoshour. In 1840, when Lew Wallace was 13 years old, his father, David, once again sought to impress the importance of education. Centerville, Indiana David sent […]
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 […]
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 large statue of Lew Wallace on the site of the Ben-Hur beech is not the only piece of free-standing sculpture on the grounds of the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum. Visitors who walk around the grounds find themselves face to face with an image of Lew’s father, David […]