Episode 8: Legacy

On a -30° morning in Mankato, Minnesota, Schuyler Colfax took his final steps. This episode begins with his sudden death at a snowy train station and ends with the legacy he left behind. Was Colfax ruined by scandal or simply ready to go home? Did he miss his shot at the presidency, or choose the life he truly wanted in South Bend? We trace his post-political life, his final days, and the echo of a man who stood at the heart of American history… and walked away.

Part of Series 4: South Bend’s Own: Schuyler Colfax

A Bend in Time is presented by The History Museum in South Bend, Indiana and hosted by Aaron Helman.

Visit The History Museum's website at historymuseumsb.org

View the museum’s online Schuyler Colfax collection here.

Episode 7: Private Life

Schuyler Colfax was ready to retire — until the country called him back. This episode explores his reluctant reentry into politics, the bruising 1872 campaign, and the Credit Mobilier scandal that clouded his exit. But Colfax wasn’t done. From business ventures in South Bend to becoming one of America’s most beloved public speakers, he found a second act on the lecture stage.

Part of Series 4: South Bend’s Own: Schuyler Colfax

A Bend in Time is presented by The History Museum in South Bend, Indiana and hosted by Aaron Helman.

Visit The History Museum's website at historymuseumsb.org

View the museum’s online Schuyler Colfax collection here.

Episode 5: Across the Continent

In 1865, freshly widowed and free of congressional duties, Speaker Schuyler Colfax hits the trail on America’s first great political road trip. From dusty stagecoach roads and Rocky-Mountain mining camps to a cautious handshake with Brigham Young in Salt Lake City, Colfax sells a war-weary nation on a new idea: the West can mend the Union and power its future. Follow his wagon across plains, peaks, and Pacific vistas — and see how the goodwill he earns in frontier towns propels him toward a spot on the 1868 presidential ticket.

Part of Series 4: South Bend’s Own: Schuyler Colfax

A Bend in Time is presented by The History Museum in South Bend, Indiana and hosted by Aaron Helman.

Visit The History Museum's website at historymuseumsb.org

View the museum’s online Schuyler Colfax collection here.