This portrait painting of Colonel Isaac Elston II was painted in 1907 by T.C. Steele. While the two did not have a personal connection, T.C. Steele had a connection to Crawfordsville and Wabash College, stating that Crawfordsville is “one of the prettiest towns in the state.” He was also fond of Wabash because of its traditions and scholarly spirit, eventually receiving an honorary degree from the College in 1900.

Before the completion of a house in Brown County in mid-1907, T.C. Steele fell ill and was advised by a physician to stay home and rest until he regained his strength. However, he had other plans with Colonel Elston to commission his portrait in Crawfordsville, and in late July 1907, he traveled to Crawfordsville to start the portrait.

Young Colonel Elston II

At the time of the portrait, Colonel Elston was the President of the Elston and Son Bank in Crawfordsville, where he was gradually increasing the bank’s wealth and size since he had taken over the bank following the death of his father, Major Elston, in 1867. Interesting enough, there was a major scare in the Banks history around the time this portrait was painted. Following the painting in late July, autumn brought a panic to the Elston Bank. Banks all around the Midwest, including Colonel Elston’s, had locked up the balances of depositing banks due to the New York Bank Collapse. Luckily, Crawfordsville came out of this bank scare relatively unscathed due to the community’s help.

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