You are Invited to Attend the long-awaited first Annual Summer Symposium of the CWEA: The Spring Mill Civil War Symposium August 17-19, 2017 at the Spring Mill Inn at Spring Mill State Historic Park in Mitchell, Indiana, with Stephen Lee Ritchie, Thomas Y. Cartwright, Stephen Davis, David L. Mowery, Michael B. Murphy, Dale K. Phillips, James I. “Bud” Robertson, Darryl Smith, Craig L. Symonds, Jeffry D. Wert and Brian Steel Wills.
We thought about creating an event such as this for a long time – a corollary to our annual Sarasota, Florida symposium in January – a program in an appealing place where folks could learn much about Civil War history from top authorities, while making friends, dining well, browsing books, and the like. Sarasota has the warm, white sands of Lido Beach in the throes of winter – and now, at Spring Mill, we have shade trees, nature trails and gurgling brooks in the middle of summer.
It took awhile to find the right venue – some resorts were too expensive; others were too rigorous (bring your own sheets and pillows, etc.). And then one day, Steve Ritchie said, “Why don’t we hold it at Spring Mill in Indiana? I’ve stayed there many times and it’s great.” And that’s the story. Positioned smack dab in the Midwest, our base at the Spring Mill Inn is an easy drive for so many who live in the heartland. It is accessible from three airports: 68 miles from Louisville; 81 miles from Indianapolis; and 124 miles from Cincinnati.
The historic 73 room Inn features warm and cozy country decor, with fully modern accommodations including an indoor/outdoor pool, and has full service dining.The nightly room rate for our attendees is terrific: $80.99 + tax. The food is hearty – buffet-style group lunches and Friday dinner will feature such entrees as roast beef, fried chicken, baked fish and eggplant parmesan, with sides and salads, and desserts like cherry cobbler and persimmon pudding (which Steve tells us is delicious?!). Our Saturday night dinner will be an old-fashioned cookout.
On the grounds you can visit the Limestone Grist Mill at the restored Pioneer Village, dating back to the early 1800’s and the Virgil I. “Gus” Grissom Memorial which honors America’s second man in space. The resort is a haven for lazy summer repose, with plenty of opportunities for recreation – nature hikes, cave tours, mountain biking and the like.
We have assembled an All-Star Faculty of Presenters – and they are as excited as we are about this event and its longterm prospects for success. Our 2017 program, at which we expect to host 90-100 of you, will consist of eleven talks on various aspects of Civil War history plus discussions on books led by the good folks from Owens & Ramsey Booksellers of Richmond, VA and from the Indiana Historical Society. Don’t Miss This One!
http://www.cwea.net/sites/default/files/print-versions/2017%20Spring%20Mill%20Symposium.pdf