History Hounds Lecture Series (Virtual)
History Hounds® Lecture Series
Our History Hounds Lecture Series offers weekly in-depth programs where attendees can curl up with historical topics.
“Sniff out” the past with History Hounds
Enjoy learning about Michigan history in a casual setting? Our lectures are for you!
Join us for our weekly History Hounds presentations and discover more of Michigan’s history. From labor unions to shipwrecks, our diverse offering of lectures are a popular event for our members and community. You can find a schedule of upcoming topics and speakers below.
or call us at (800) 692-1828.
Upcoming Topics/Speakers
Colon: Magic Capital of the World
Wednesday, June 1, 7:00 p.m. (Eastern)
with Joe Ganger, Colon Community Historical Society
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free for members, $7 for non-members
How did Colon, Michigan, become a mecca for the world’s magicians? What brought so many vaudeville folks to town? Come hear the speaker, dressed as magician Harry Blackstone, tell the story of how the tiny town of Colon became known near and far as the magic capital of the world.
Stories from Michigan’s Immigrants
Tuesday, June 7, 12:00 p.m. (Eastern)
with Martha Bloomfield, Michigan Oral History Association
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free for members, $7 for non-members
The stories of Michigan’s immigrants and migrants reflect profound resilience, memories of leaving home due to war and religious or ethnic persecution, and challenges of settling in the United States. Join us to hear how their oral histories, gathered in interviews over the past 20 years, can help dissipate prejudice and stereotyping.
Ambitious Honor: George Armstrong Custer’s Life of Service and Lust for Fame
Wednesday, June 15, 7:00 p.m. (Eastern)
with James E. Mueller, University of North Texas
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free for members, $7 for non-members
George Armstrong Custer won fame as a brilliant cavalry commander whose military career ended in disaster at Little Bighorn. But was Custer an artist, not a soldier, at heart? Come learn how Custer’s passion for creativity and recognition led to both his successes and the failures that overshadowed his achievements.
Shanty Boys: The Lumbermen of the Upper Midwest
Tuesday, June 21, 12:00 p.m. (Eastern)
with Ryan Gale, Author
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free for members, $7 for non-members
People called them lumberjacks, woodsmen, and shantyboys. The lumbermen who cut the upper Midwest’s pine forests between 1830 and 1940 endured cold, isolation, and poor living conditions—all for little pay. Join us for a glimpse into the fascinating lives of the legendary, hardworking loggers of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
Building Walls: Immigration Restriction in American History
Wednesday, June 29, 7:00 p.m. (Eastern)
with Bruce Zellers, Oakland University
Location: Virtual
Cost: Free for members, $7 for non-members
The iconic Statue of Liberty welcomes immigrants to the United States and introduces a vision of the nation as a collection of freedom-loving people from around the globe. Yet Americans have had complex feelings about immigrants—often despising them and resisting their arrival. Join us to learn about America’s complicated immigration history.