Stone's Trace Festival and

Home of Stone's Tavern and the Stone's Trace Regulators
Come, participate and enjoy historical reenactment of early American life in Indiana!

Stone's Tavern was built when General Mad Anthony Wayne and his men widened an Indian trail north and west of Fort Wayne to make wagon travel possible. Richard Stone built the present structure in 1839. The tavern was the center of activity from quilting bees , town meetings, post office, stagecoach stop, jury room, dance hall and rest stop for the weary traveler or drover. The building was operated as a tavern from 1839 until about the time of the Civil war when it was sold. At the time of the sale, both Ligonier and Wolf Lake were growing towns and each had a new hotel. The value of the tavern was lost and it was then used as a home and later as a barn. Today it is open during the Pioneer Festival and the Hearthside Dinner event is served inside twice every year.

In 1965, Mr. Graydon Blue, a local druggist, convinced the owner, Mrs. Mary Slagle, that he could save the building. Mrs. Slagle donated the tavern and three acres of land to the historical society.

Stone's Trace Regulators, a group of men interested in re-creating the pre-1840 pioneer era, was formed to carry on this tradition. Each year, at festival time, a trading village with primitive camp reenactors springs up at the south end of the festival grounds reenacting life prior to occupation by the settlers. Civil War reenactors set up their camp at the North end of the grounds with a canon report every hour during the yearly fesival.