Edward Eggleston

Born in Vevay, Indiana, in 1837, Edward Eggleston became a Methodist circuit preacher while still young, but poor health repeatedly interrupted that work. He later turned to writing and editing, drawing on his experiences in Indiana and the broader Midwest.

Eggleston is most closely associated with The Hoosier School-Master (1871), a novel that earned attention for its lively use of regional speech and its realistic picture of frontier life. He went on to write other fiction, stories for young readers, and historical works, building a reputation as both a novelist and a historian.

In his later years he devoted much of his energy to American history, and he served as president of the American Historical Association. He died at Lake George, New York, in 1902, leaving behind work remembered for its strong sense of place and its early contribution to literary realism in the United States.