Still an Inspiration: James Whitcomb Riley’s Legacy

by Lori Soard
Just east of Indianapolis; sandwiched between corn fields and soybean crops; a few hundred feet from the Old National Road (US 40) rests the James Whitcomb Riley Old Home and Museum. The poet was born in the house on October 7, 1849. The dwelling was originally a log cabin, but as his father's law practice grew, and the family grew, the Riley's replaced the cabin with a two-story home with green shutters.
Riley's family had a huge impact on his future as a writer. He had five brothers and sisters: John, Martha, Elva May, Humboldt, and Mary. Humboldt and Martha died when they were...