Edward Eggleston

This article is about the historian and writer. For the painter and illustrator, see Edward Mason Eggleston.

Edward Eggleston
Born	(1837-12-10)December 10, 1837 Vevay, Indiana, U.S.
Died	September 3, 1902(1902-09-03) (aged 64) Lake George, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Historian Novelist
Notable works	The Hoosier Schoolmaster (1871)
Spouses	Elizabeth Goodsmith Snider ​ ​ (m. 1858; died 1890)​ Frances Goode ​ ​ (m. 1891; death 1902)​
Children	Elizabeth Eggleston Seelye, Allegra Eggleston, Blanche Eggleston, Edward William Eggleston

Edward Eggleston (December 10, 1837 – September 3, 1902) was an American historian and novelist.

Biography

Eggleston was born in Vevay, Indiana on December 10, 1837, to Joseph Cary Eggleston and Mary Jane Craig. The author George Cary Eggleston was his brother. As a child, he was too ill to regularly attend school, so his education was primarily provided by his father. He was ordained as a Methodist minister in 1856. He wrote a number of tales, some of which, especially the "Hoosier" series, attracted much attention. Among these are The Hoosier Schoolmaster, The Hoosier Schoolboy, The End of the World, The Faith Doctor, and Queer Stories for Boys and Girls.

Eggleston used well-known historical events as the basis for several of his novels. In The End of the World, he describes the build-up to the Second Coming of Christ in 1843, as prophesied by William Miller, set in southern Indiana. The Graysons is a fictionalized account of a famous murder trial that Abraham Lincoln won in 1858 in central Illinois. Other books were romanticized stories based on his personal experiences, including The Mystery of Metropolisville, about land speculation in southern Minnesota, and The Circuit Rider, about itinerant preachers, set in southwestern Ohio. Most of his novels contain characters who speak in local "dialect".

He wrote many articles for the children's magazine The Little Corporal, and in 1866, he worked as an editor for the periodical. In December 1866 he accepted a higher-paying editorial position at The Sunday School Teacher. From 1869 to 1877 Eggleston edited the eight-page weekly publication Little Folks, advertised as being "an illustrated Paper, for every Sunday, for Infant Scholars." He wrote two stories for each issue. In 1871 he was briefly the supervising editor of the New York periodical The Independent.

In 1884, Eggleston helped organize the American Historical Association. He was elected its president in 1899. In his presidential address, he called for a change from a history of important battles to one of important lives. Eggleston was elected a member of the American Antiquarian Society in 1893.

Eggleston's childhood home in Vevay, Indiana

His boyhood home at Vevay, Indiana, known as the Edward and George Cary Eggleston House, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. His summer home, Owl's Nest, in Lake George, New York, eventually became his year-round home. Eggleston died there on September 3, 1902, at the age of 64. Owl's Nest was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1971.

His oldest daughter, the writer Elizabeth Eggleston Seelye, was married to Elwyn Seelye, the founder of the New York State Historical Association. His second daughter, Allegra Eggleston, was an artist and illustrator. She collaborated with her sister and her father on a number of books including The Story of Columbus, The Story of Washington, and The Graysons. He had a third daughter, Blanche, and a son, Edward William, who died at age 3.

Religious Background

The relationship Eggleston held with religion changed many times throughout his life, yet he left an impact in the activities he took part in as part of his faith. He grew up in a region that had a strong association with Methodism which he would come to embrace. Moving further into his practice Eggleston would spread his theology across two states. Eventually he would leave the Methodist church temporarily which would lead him to turn to non-sectarianism. By the age of 41 he would leave the church forever to value a more agnostic point of view. His explorations of his beliefs were given a position of prominence in his life which prior to him expelling the ideas that he concerned himself with, it sent him down many avenues.

During his adolescence he showed great interest in portraying his faith at the highest degree. Around the age of 12 or 13, he would follow a strict devotional schedule that was inspired by religious books he found in the family library. These books were specifically recommended by John Wesley for those who would like to pursue a career as a preacher. After reading the information regarding this lifestyle pattern, Eggleston began engaging with the instruction he learned. This schedule required him to wake up at four in the morning and pray for an hour uninterrupted. Past that initial prayer, throughout the day he would pray at specific times and he also put himself on a sparse diet.Given the dedication he had showed for his faith at an early age, it would push him further into spreading the word of Methodism.

Determined to share his theology with others Eggleston took up different professions to amplify his voice. Following a sense of obligation to his God and his fellowmen, he showed ambition to preach the Gospel by obtaining a license to preach as a Methodist circuit rider. The actions he took served the purpose of strengthening his faith through the act of service. He also worked as a Bible agent and then as pastor of small congregations in a nine year period he spent in Minnesota. Maneuvering these positions granted him an exceptional record within his practice. By 1859, when Eggleston was 21 years old, he had already become a pastor for a Methodist church that was regarded as one of the biggest in Minnesota. His youth revolved immensely around his relgion which granted him these opportunities. As he got older his perspective started to change which shifted the trajectory of his future.

Principal works

Novels

• The Hoosier Schoolmaster (1871)
• The End of the World (1872)
• The Mystery of Metropolisville (1873)
• The Circuit Rider (1874)
• Roxy (1878)
• The Graysons (1888)
• The Faith Doctor (1891)
• Duffels (short stories) (1893)

Juvenile

Illustration from The Hoosier Schoolboy

• Mr. Blake's Walking Stick (1870)
• Tecumseh and the Shawnee Prophet (1878)
• Pocahontus and Powhatan (1879)
• Montezuma (1880)
• The Hoosier Schoolboy (1883)
• Queer Stories for Boys and Girls (1884)
• Stories of Great Americans for Little Americans (1895)
• Home History of the United States (1889)

History

• A History of the United States and Its People (1888)
• The Beginners of a Nation (1896)
• The Transit of Civilization From England to America (1901)
• New Centennial History of the United States (1904)

Religion

• Christ in Art (1875)
• Christ in Literature (1875)

Further reading

• Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Eggleston, Edward" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 9 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
• "Eggleston, Edward." American Authors 1600–1900 The H. W. Wilson Company, New York, 1938
•  Cousin, John William (1910), "Eggleston, Edward", A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature, London: J. M. Dent & Sons – via Wikisource

External links

• Works by Edward Eggleston at Project Gutenberg
• Works by or about Edward Eggleston at the Internet Archive
• Works by Edward Eggleston at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)
• The Transit of Civilization from England to America in the Seventeenth Century