[Historical Society of Michigan remote presentation - History Hounds] The Ballad of Casey Jones: Railroad Engineer and Folk Hero with Grant Thompson, Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum

Learn the story of Casey Jones, whose legacy as a railroad engineer lives on in the iconic folk song bearing his name. Noted for his exceptional punctuality, Jones met his tragic demise at the risk of saving others while on the track.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[Historical Society of Michigan remote presentation - History Hounds] The First Spaceman: Captain Iven C. Kincheloe with Steven Arseneau, Dowagiac Area Historical Society

In September 1956, Captain Iven C. Kincheloe set the altitude record by flying the Bell X-2 to 126,600 feet. The Cass County native was a Double Jet Ace in the Korean War before becoming a test pilot, leading the X-2 and subsequent X-15 projects. 

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[Historical Society of Michigan Remote Presentation - History Hounds] Beads, Rings, and Datable Things: Goose Lake Archaeology with Jim Paquette, Archaeologists & Historian

Goose Lake Outlet #3 is a protohistoric fur trade site in Marquette County. Learn about ongoing discoveries of cultural materials—some of which date back to the 1630s and provide evidence of early French-Native trade networks.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[Historical Society of Michigan remote presentation - History Hounds] REWIND - We Bought a WWII Bomber: Students and the War Effort with the Historical Society of Michigan

World War II’s “Buy a Bomber” campaign allowed organizations to fund the construction of a warplane. In 1943, students at South High School in Grand Rapids bought a B-17 Flying Fortress and named it Spirit of South High. 

Note: It's a rewind! Join us to watch a previously recorded program, stored in our member library.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[History Hounds] Rivers, Lakes, and Lumber: Michigan’s White Pine with Rob Berg, North Country History

The White Pine lumber industry was one of Michigan’s most important in the 19th century. Explore how the convenience of water transportation amongst the Great Lakes and its rivers was a major contributing factor to the rise of logging in the state.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[History Hounds] Deer Forest: Wonderland Memories with Peter Cook, North Berrien Historical Museum

In its 65 years of operation, millions of people visited Deer Forest to pet and feed animals such as deer, llamas, and peacocks. Although the park closed in 2014, the legacy of Deer Forest lives on. Reminisce on this beloved West Michigan attraction and learn more about its unique history.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[History Hounds] Fieldstone Houses: Building Blocks of History with Pete Daly, Historian

Michigan’s glaciers left a landscape littered with fieldstones. Farmers found them a nuisance, but nineteenth century builders used them for houses, barns, churches, schools, and countless other structures.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[History Hounds] Art and Activism: The Life of Lottie Wilson with Christina Arseneau, Niles History Center

African American artist Lottie Wilson leveraged her work to fight for civil rights, and one painting even made it to the White House. Learn about her art and her role on the national stage as she campaigned for African American women. 

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[History Hounds] REWIND - Bones to Pick: The History of Dentistry, with the Historical Society of Michigan

The University of Michigan’s Sindecuse Museum of Dentistry is a hidden gem of medical history. Learn the history of dentistry and how the museum makes its collection of more than 25,000 historical tools, furniture, memorabilia, and more relevant to audiences.

Note: It's a rewind! Join us to watch a previously recorded program, stored in our member library.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[History Hounds] Brigades and Dalmatians: The History of Firefighting with David Egeler, Michigan Firehouse Museum

The history of organized firefighting is hundreds of years old. Join the Michigan Firehouse Museum and stroll through history to see how firefighting has changed from bucket brigades to modern day people and equipment. And yes, why dalmatians?

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[History Hounds] Lord Ashfield: King of the Detroit Railway with Alexander Jan, Historian

Lord Ashfield was born in England, but by 30 years old he was overseeing the entire street railway system of Detroit. Learn about this oft forgotten and understudied figure in Michigan history, who served in the Spanish-American War and went on to chair London Transport for many decades.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[History Hounds] Soldiers of Production: Lansing and the Arsenal of Democracy with Michael Rodriguez, MSU Libraries

The automotive industry was at the center of producing war ordinance during WWII, and Lansing was a crucial place for this work. Explore Lansing's role in the arsenal of democracy through government contracts, the questioning of capitalism, women's roles, the General Motors UAW Strike, and more.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[History Hounds] A Lawyer Behind Bars: Walter Morrow Nelson and His Legacy with Carrie Sharlow, Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society

In 1923, Walter M. Nelson, attorney in the Berrien County House of David cases, was held in contempt of court and sentencing to 30 days in jail. The cases were just the beginning of Nelson's legendary fifty year career with the State Bar of Michigan.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[History Hounds] “The Worst Colonel I Ever Saw”: Francis Quinn and The 12th Michigan Infantry with Robert Myers, Historical Society of Michigan

Colonel Francis Quinn of Niles led the 12th Michigan Infantry into action in the Battle of Shiloh, but his incompetence and quarrelsome personality led to disaster. Michigan Governor Austin Blair dubbed him “The worst colonel I ever saw.”

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[History Hounds] King Strang of Beaver Island: The Mormon Monarch of Michigan with Jane Garver, Little Traverse History Museum

After the death of Mormon leader Joseph Smith, James Jesse Strang claimed to be the next leader, dividing the Mormon people. He took his followers to Beaver Island, where he proclaimed himself King, instigated the Battle of Pine River, and was elected to the Michigan legislature.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

Monthly Board Meeting will be held at the St. Ignace Public Library.

[History Hounds] A Complicated Legacy: Civil Rights Cases and the Michigan Supreme Court with Joseph J. Gavin, Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society

The Michigan Supreme Court’s history of civil rights cases is a complicated legacy. Join this presentation to unpack some of its earliest decisions and impacts, like the 1869 case of Workman v. Detroit Board of Education, and many more.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[History Hounds] Con-Con Eleven: Women at the 1961-1962 Michigan Constitutional Convention with Lynn Liberato, Author

The 1963 Michigan Constitution marks the first and only time women have participated in the writing of a Michigan constitution. Learn the story of those eleven women and the greater influence they had in encouraging women to run for statewide public office.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[History Hounds] The Ballad of Casey Jones: Railroad Engineer and Folk Hero with Grant Thompson, Casey Jones Home & Railroad Museum

Learn the story of Casey Jones, whose legacy as a railroad engineer lives on in the iconic folk song bearing his name. Noted for his exceptional punctuality, Jones met his tragic demise at the risk of saving others while on the track.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[History Hounds] REWIND - Lake Superior Losses: Marquette Shipwrecks

After iron ore was discovered near Marquette, Michigan, in 1844, the city soon developed into Lake Superior’s first great port. From 1855 to the 1880s, Marquette received more vessels in a single week than Duluth, Minnesota, did in an entire season. With that increased traffic, however, came increased accidents. Learn all about those Marquette-area wrecks—from the Siskowit to the Maryland.

Note: It's a rewind! Join us to watch a previously recorded program, stored in our member library.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[History Hounds] Hilma! A WWII Survivor’s Story with Bruce Geffen, Educator

Hilma Geffen was 16 years old when she went into hiding during WWII, separated from her parents and living underground to evade the Nazis. Join her son as he shares the discovery of Hilma's story and all she survived.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

Have you ever been curious about how snowshoes were laced in the past? Learn about the tools and methods as instructor Hillary Pine guides you through the process of lacing your own pair of Green Mountain snowshoes.

Seating is limited and registration is required. The $200 registration fee includes all supplies and may be paid online or in person. Please note this workshop is 7 hours. Please bring a sack lunch. Click here to register.

This workshop is in cooperation with the St. Ignace Public Library and the St. Ignace Area Creative Arts Council, and funding from the Michigan Arts & Culture Council.

Hillary Pine lives in St. Ignace and is a citizen of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians. She has a B.A. in Art History from the University of Michigan and an M.A. in Cultural Heritage & Museum Studies from the University of East Anglia. She is the Northern Lower Peninsula Historian for the DNR and Michigan History Center. Hillary works out of Hartwick Pines State Park and is responsible for the Hartwick Pines Logging Museum, the Higgins Lake Nursery, and the Michigan Civilian Conservation Corps Museum. Hillary especially enjoys giving tours and public programs to share Michigan’s diverse history with the public.

[History Hounds] Building “a Better Car”: The Road to Saving Chrysler with Barry Levine, Author

When Lee Iacocca stepped into Chrysler management, he inherited a company on the brink of collapse. He may have gone the extra mile to bring the company back, but the contributions of union workers, cooperation of the government, success of the K-car, and other factors helped ensure the effort to save Chrysler succeeded.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[History Hounds] A Handshake and a Hitch: The Ford “N” Tractor with Ed Gooding, “N” Tractor Club

In 1938, Henry Ford and Harry Ferguson struck a deal where Ford would manufacture tractors with Ferguson's innovative three-point hitch system. This agreement resulted in the creation of the 9N model, which was also produced with a rear power take-off (PTO). The "Ford-Ferguson" soon became an industry standard, albeit short-lived.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

Learn the traditional art of black ash basketry. Using the knowledge passed down through the generations, Joshua and Sarah Homminga of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, harvest and process all the materials used in their basketry. They will share their knowledge while guiding attendees as they make their own baskets to take home. 

Seating is limited and registration is required. The $75 registration fee includes all supplies and may be paid online or at the workshop. Please note this workshop is 7 hours. Please bring a sack lunch. Click here to register.

This workshop is in cooperation with the St. Ignace Public Library and the St. Ignace Area Creative Arts Council, and funding from the Michigan Arts & Culture Council.

Josh Homminga is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, located in Sault Ste. Marie, MI. He was born on August 2, 1978. He grew up in Sault Ste. Marie, MI and lived there until 2012, then moved to Bay Mills Indian Community with his wife, Sarah. Josh worked for Sault Tribe, within their Cultural Division, for most of his adult life and in 2015, he decided to pursue basketry full-time. Black ash basketry has always been part of his life growing up. Josh's great, great-grandmother, Jane Williams, passed this art down to her children and it continued down to his great-aunt, Bernadette Azevedo. Bernadette is the one who taught Josh basketry. He made his first basket in 2007, in which he harvested and processed all the materials. His aunt and uncle, Bernadette and Roger, shared their knowledge by hosting basket workshops. They were concerned that this art would die out within their family. Her words were, “anyone can make a basket, but would they also be able to harvest and process a log to make the supplies to make the basket”. Josh took her words to heart and decided he would continue on this art and teach our future generations. He taught my wife, Sarah and together they have hosted many workshops and demonstrations. They are teaching our children so the art of black ash basketry stays alive within their family.

[History Hounds] Little House in the Bog Woods: The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Millions of schoolchildren grew up with the “Little House” books and the opening sentence, “Once upon a time . . . a little girl lived in the Big Woods of Wisconsin.” Join us as the staff of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Pepin, Wisconsin, tells us the author’s story. 

Note: It's a rewind! Join us to watch a previously recorded program, stored in our member library. 

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

Due to unforeseen circumstances, tonight's "Claiming Michigan: The 1820 Expedition of Lewis Cass" program is canceled.

In 1820, the governor of the Michigan Territory, Lewis Cass, and thirty-five companions participated in an expedition from Detroit to the furthest limits of what would become the states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Dan Truckey, Director and Curator of the Beaumier Upper Peninsula Heritage Center will retrace the expedition and delve into the lives of those in Cass's party and the effect it had on Indigenous people.

In cooperation with the St. Ignace Public Library and generous funding from the Michigan Arts & Culture Council, this is a free in-person presentation. Registration is recommended, but not required. Click here to register.

Dan Truckey has been the Director of the Beaumier Upper Peninsula Heritage Center since 2007. Before returning to Northern Michigan University, his alma mater, Dan served as executive director of the Grand Traverse Heritage Center in Traverse City. Previous employers included the Sioux City Public Museum in Iowa, Noah Webster House, the Connecticut Historical Society and the former Catskills Entertainment Hall of Fame. In his spare time, Dan is a folk singer/songwriter, and enjoys downhill skiing, biking, hiking, playing tennis and spending time with his wife and their two kids.

[History Hounds] A Park and a Steamer: The Tale of Tashmoo with Art Woodford, Author

Tashmoo Park, located 20 miles north of Detroit on Harsen's Island, opened in 1897. For nearly 50 years, the park was Detroit's most popular park destination, and a visit was incomplete without an excursion aboard the grand steamer Tashmoo. 

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge.

[History Hounds] Michigan’s Pompeii: The Lost Town of Singapore with Janet Kasic, Travel Talk Journeys

Did you know Michigan has its own “Pompeii”? Just as the Roman city of Pompeii, Italy, was buried by ash and volcanic rock from Mount Vesuvius, so the little village of Singapore, Michigan, was buried by sand. Beneath the dunes near the resort town of Saugatuck lies the remains of Singapore, one of Michigan's most famous ghost towns.

We'd like to thank the Historical Society of Michigan (HSM), which supports local history organizations, like us! They are continuing to make their History Hounds Lecture Series available online for free to members of HSM’s member organizations. Register for this remote presentation by 3:00pm the previous day. Click here to register. Select “A member of an Organizational Member of HSM” to enjoy this presentation at no charge

The Great Lakes are as notorious for shipwrecks as they are for beauty. Since the beginning of European sailing vessels traversing the lakes, there have been more than 6,000 documented shipwrecks. Approximately 20 of those occurred on the Straits of Mackinac. Shipwreck researcher, Ric Mixter will discuss his discoveries, vessels lost on the Straits, and where to find them.

In cooperation with the St. Ignace Public Library and generous funding from the Michigan Arts & Culture Council, this is a free in-person presentation. Registration is recommended, but not required. Click here to register.

Ric Mixter is a familiar voice at Michilimackinac; you can hear him daily in the shipwreck video he produced at the shipwreck museum at Old Mackinac Point. He has appeared most recently on National Geographic Explorer and has an article in this year's Michigan History Magazine on a recent discovery he was part of in Lake Superior. Add in appearances on History, Discovery Channel and 30 shows on PBS, and you'll know why Ric is frequently asked to share stories live with audiences. 

Ric started diving in 1991, and served as SCUBA cameraman on underwater expeditions to the Great Lakes largest shipwrecks, the Edmund Fitzgerald and Carl D. Bradley.  He has interviewed dozens of shipwreck survivors over the past 15 years, including two from the 1913 Storm, two from the 1940 Armistice Day Storm and survivors from the largest shipwrecks in lakes Michigan, Huron and Erie. 

With over 20 years of stories on historical preservation, Ric was awarded the 2009 Award for Historic Interpretation by the Association for Great Lakes Maritime Historians.  In 2011 he was elected to their board of directors.  Ric was also the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association’s third president.