Authors Fair - Sept. 24, 2011

The Franklin Township Historical Society is sponsoring an AUTHORS FAIR on Saturday, September 24, from 1 to 4 p.m., at the Franklin Road Branch Library. The event is free, and will provide readers and would-be writers with the opportunity to meet 10 (or more) local authors, look at their books, and perhaps buy an autographed copy or two.

Other features of the afternoon will include a panel led by three authors who represent different aspects of current writing. Brenda (Kight) Lempp will talk about her poetry which she began writing at age 13. She has self-published two chap books which include some of her experiences growing up as one of nine children. She attended Acton Grade School, graduated from Franklin Central and from Franklin College where she earned a journalism degree. She now lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with her husband and their three children.

Panel member Greg Seiter has a full-time job with the AAA Hoosier Motor Club as public affairs manager, and is also a free-lance writer for several publications.including AAA’s Home & Away and SOUTH. He is a graduate of Perry Meridian High School and the University of Indianapolis. He lives in Franklin Township with his wife and two children.

The third panel member is Anne Meyer, a graduate of Broad Ripple High School, and Indiana University. She also did graduate work in Education at Ball State. She received her Diaconal Minister’s Order from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. She has written many strories, articles, and devotional literature. She has four children, and 6 grandchildren “from 2 to 5 years old.” She lives in Franklin Township with her husband, and is a member of the Acton United Methodist Church.

The panel will each give a brief summary of his/her writing experiences, and then respond to questions from the audience. There will be drawings for several door prizes during the afternoon, a table of used books on writing for sale and light refreshments.

Everyone is welcome. Authors displaying their works will include Joe Skvarenina, Debbye Butler, Duane Nickell, Brenda Lampp, Cindy Whitis, Theresa Hatfield, Gary Straber, Betty J. Spahr, David Ostheimer, Sylvia Henricks,and perhaps others.

Marjorie Main, again on the silver screen

We posted last year when the Historic Artcraft Theatre in Franklin, Indiana showed a classic Marjorie Main film. Marjorie Main was born right here in Franklin Township -- in the town of Acton, to be precise -- and appeared in more than 80 films, often opposite big-name stars such as Humphrey Bogart and John Wayne. She is best known as Ma Kettle, from the series of popular comedies.

If you missed your chance to see Acton's big-screen diva in action -- or if you'd like to see her again -- thank your lucky Hollywood stars, because they're doing it again!

This year, the Artcraft is showing the classic comedy Ma and Pa Kettle Go To Town the weekend of September 30-October 1. Get your tickets early; the theatre, which can seat over 500 attendees, has been known to sell out for popular films. People come from all over the world (literally!) to see movies at the vintage theatre. You can pre-order tickets at the Artcraft's website.

The Historic Artcraft Theatre is a 1922 vaudeville house and movie theatre that is now in the care of Franklin Heritage, Inc. It is staffed by volunteers, and all proceeds from events and ticket sales go toward restoration and preservation of this historic jewel. Arrive early and tour the building, or have a snack at one of Franklin's local eateries.

IHS Civil War Trail: Tennesee Revisited trip

The Franklin Township Historical Society is not affiliated with the Indiana Historical Society, but the members of both organizations have similar interests. For that reason, you might be interested in this recent press release from the IHS:

Join us as we continue our travels in celebration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial this fall. During this trip, we explore both well-known and less familiar Civil War sites in Tennessee. Noted author and historian James Hoobler, senior curator for the Tennessee State Museum and former executive director of the Tennessee Historical Society, joins us and brings to life notable Tennessee battles and generals.

Our tour begins with a visit to Civil War and Reconstruction at the Tennessee State Museum. We travel on to Shiloh to learn about the controversial Battle of Shiloh and its connection to Indiana and General Lew Wallace. From there, we follow John Bell Hood’s campaign, learning about the Battle of Franklin with stops at Fort Granger, Winstead Hill, Carter House and Carnton Plantation, the setting for the New York Times bestseller Widow of the South. We’ll also visit Harrison House, a private home and formerly General Hood’s headquarters, and enjoy a progressive dinner in three significant Civil War era homes: Elm Spring, Rippavilla Plantation and Ferguson Hall.

To register or receive more information please contact Jennifer Hiatt at 317-234-2670 or e-mail at jhiatt@indianahistory.org.

Members' Lunch at the Propylaeum

submitted by president emerita Sylvia Henricks

A day-trip is always fun, and the Society members who drove into Indianapolis in early July to visit the Propylaeum on Delaware Street for a tour and lunch had a good time. The big “Queen Anne style” mansion is the headquarters for a woman’s organization to “encourage the appreciation of the arts for the public, and especially for women." The name itself means “Gateway.”

It was organized in 1888, under the guidance of May Wright Sewell -- a painting of her by T.C. Steele is in the entrance hall – who became the first president. The group built an imposing stone clubhouse on North Street where they remained, sponsoring many groups for women, until the building of the World War Memorial in 1922 forced them to move. (Our member Joe Seiter brought a postcard of that first building to show us.)

The ladies purchased the house and lot at 1410 N. Delaware in 1923. The house had been built in the 1880s by a brewer whose wife wanted to live on the near north side, known as “the Gold Coast” area. It has many fine details – 12 foot ceilings, “pocket-doors.” A broad, carpeted staircase ascending three floors. A ballroom is on the third floor, along with the servants’ quarters. Six bedrooms and baths are on the second floor. Downstairs, the fireplace fronts are decorated with tile, believed to be Rookwood.

Later owners were George McCulloch, owner of the Indianapolis Star, and President and General Manager of the Indiana Transit Co. Another brewer, with many financial interests became the third owner, In the 1920s the College of Music and Fine Arts, a forerunner to the Jordan College of Fine Arts at Butler University, bought the property, but “decided to free itself from the financial burden, and the house was purchased with Liberty Bonds by the Propylaeum for $65,000. (Most of the above information is from a brochure given guests.)

As funds have allowed the house has been restored. It is a beautiful example of elegant living in a bygone era. We –14 of us—enjoyed a lovely meal in one of the formal parlors, the table set with stemmed glasses, china and

flowers.

It was Evelyn’s birthday, and the hostess put her at the head of the table, with a tiara on her head. Our meals enjoyed and finished, our thank-you’s expressed to the hostess and the servers, we left through the “Georgian Style” front door with its hand-wrought iron grill, to return to our humbler, but no less treasured, Southside homes.

General Lew Wallace Study & Museum

A few days ago, I had the privilege of making a special tour of the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum in Crawfordsville, IN, an easy morning's drive west of Indianapolis. If you have not had a chance to learn about this great American hero and author, I encourage you to make the trip!

Lew Wallace fought in two American wars (most notably in the Civil War, where he successfully defended both Washington, D.C. and Cincinnati, OH from major Confederate attacks), served as governor of the New Mexico territory -- where he famously made a plea bargain with Billy the Kid, who later violated the agreement by breaking out of prison -- and served as the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey. He presided over the trial of the conspirators who assassinated President Abraham Lincoln. He was also an artist, a musician, an inventor and technological enthusiast. But he is best known as the author of the best-selling novel of the 19th century, a Biblical epic titled Ben-Hur. The book has been made into four motion pictures -- one of which is still tied for the record of most Academy Awards ever won by a single film -- an equally groundbreaking Broadway stage play, two stage musicals, and more.

The study, an exotic building of Wallace's own design and decorated with carved faces of characters from his books, is a delightful tour for those interested in history or architecture. It has been preserved in an almost undisturbed state -- it still contains Wallace's furniture, library and personal effects -- and is currently undergoing restoration on the interior to restore the original paint and intricate murals that were covered at some point in the past.

Also open is the visitor's center, originally the site's carriage house -- the gift shop is located in the stall belonging to the horse Wallace rode in the Civil War -- which houses an informative exhibit on historic preservation. For tour information, please visit the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum website.

Special Events

For Civil War enthusiasts, the museum is hosting a number of lectures and reenactments throughout the month of July, including lectures on the Underground Railroad, Civil War photographer Matthew Brady, and Mary Todd Lincoln. For more information, please visit http://ben-hur.com/aboutus/newsevents.html.

Lunch at the Propylaeum

Join us Wednesday, July 6 for an exclusive FTHS Membership event! We'll have a private tour of the historic Propylaeum, followed by a delicious lunch. (A donation of $1 is requested for the tour, and the full menu can be viewed here.)

For more information on the Propylaeum, visit thepropylaeum.org.

If your FTHS membership is not current, don't worry -- an annual membership is only $10, and you can renew it at any time! Visit our website's membership page for more information.

To RSVP to this event, email Nancy at nanvana@gmail.com.

IHS "Grave Matters" Cemetery Trip

The Franklin Township Historical Society is not affiliated with the Indiana Historical Society, but the members of both organizations have similar interests. For that reason, you might be interested in this recent press release from the IHS:

On June 9 join IHS Membership and Local History Services staff for an exciting day-trip to Spring Grove in Cincinnati, Ohio, one of the Midwest’s oldest historic cemeteries!

Founded in 1845, Spring Grove boasts over 400 acres of beautifully maintained gardens and cemetery spaces. The tour group will be treated to an in-depth, one hour walking tour by Spring Grove’s chief horticulturalist. The trip will include stops at two additional cemeteries in Indiana for brief walking tours.

Indiana cemetery experts Jeannie Regan-Dinius of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and Sheila Riley of The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis will accompany the group and make presentations throughout the day. Lunch, snacks and transportation via coach will be provided.

Space is limited, so register now! To secure your spot, please contact Jennifer Hiatt at (317) 234-2670 or jhiatt@indianahistory.org. The registration fee is $40 for IHS members and $60 for non-members (includes Individual membership).

Please note: for the purposes of the walking tours, guests should be able to stand and walk for up to an hour at a time.