{"id":243,"featured":0,"modified":"2026-04-17 19:48:36","latitude":40.86294060000000172294676303863525390625,"longitude":-87.3219744999999960555214784108102321624755859375,"title":"Hazelden (George Ade House)","subtitle":"","fullsize":"https://discoverindianahistory.org/files/fullsize/10e27b7c9520d2c444cb605e31ae4bef.jpg","address":"3705 IN-16, Brook, IN 47922","all_locations":[],"zoom":9,"creator":["Indiana Division of Historic Preservation and Archaeology"],"description":"Hazelden, known as “The House Where Laughter Dwelt”, was the home of writer George Ade. He started as a weather reporter for the Chicago Record in 1890. In 1893, he was assigned to cover the Columbian Exposition in Chicago and his series  “All Roads Lead to the Fair” was a huge success. Because of the appeal, Ade was given his own column, and he started “Stories of the Street and of the Town”.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nIn addition to his regular column, George Ade wrote ten books from 1900-1920 including “Fables in Slang”. Mixed between articles and books were fourteen different plays. Three of them, &quot;The County Chairman&quot;, &quot;The Sho-Gun&quot;, and &quot;The College Widow&quot;, were featured on Broadway in 1905. His plays in particular resulted in amazing wealth.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nBy the mid-1920s, Ade decided to retire, and he purchased property in his native Indiana and constructed a manor of his own. Here he threw lavish parties and hosted Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, Warren Harding, and Calvin Coolidge. Many others spent time at Hazelden including James Whitcomb Riley, Booth Tarkington, Will Rogers, Ernie Pyle, and Douglas MacArthur.<br />\r\n<br />\r\nThe George Ade Memorial Association restored the house in 1966. Also on the grounds are an 18-hole golf course and a hospital.","sponsor":null,"accessinfo":"","lede":"","website":"","related_resources":[],"factoids":[],"files":{"https://discoverindianahistory.org/files/fullsize/10e27b7c9520d2c444cb605e31ae4bef.jpg":{"id":1489,"mime-type":"image/jpeg","title":"Hazelden (George Ade House)","description":"Courtesy of Indiana DNR","thumbnail":"https://discoverindianahistory.org/files/square_thumbnails/10e27b7c9520d2c444cb605e31ae4bef.jpg"}}}