History Detectives: Sleuthing for Local History
Saturday, January 22, 2011
9:30am - 4:00pm
Grand Rapids Public Library
Main Library Auditorium, 3rd floor
Talks will focus on Ramona Park, Heritage Hill, transportation and the suffrage movement in Grand Rapids, as well as the Civil War in Michigan. Lunch is $6.00 and must be ordered by 5PM on January 19 (call 988-5400 or email). If you don't order, come anyway! You can still get lunch at the library café or bring your own.
For women's history highlights, see immediately below. For the day's schedule, keep reading. Or click here for full details.
2:00-2:45pm
Local Civil War Treasures Rediscovered: Mariette Hutchins
In the first of a two-part session, John Gelderloos will tell the story of Berlin, Michigan's 18-year-old Mariette Hutchins. By becoming their pen pal, she proved to be a friend and comforter to many Civil War soldiers she may never have met. The Civil War Roundtable's Gelderloos will share from his collection of soldiers' letters and reveal more about this remarkable woman.
3:00-3:45pm
Building a Case: Grand Rapids as an Important Suffrage Center
In the fifty years preceding the accomplishment of universal suffrage in 1920, Grand Rapids women did it all. They lobbied in Lansing, hosted national conferences, paraded, published and mailed six tons of literature during one single year's referendum campaign. The GGRWHC's Jo Ellyn Clarey will tell their story, share images of local suffrage paraphernalia, and recount how we lost and rediscovered this significant piece of Grand Rapids history.
THE FULL DAY'S PROGRAMMING
9:30-10:15am
The Grand Rapids Historical Society presents: Gail M. Snow - The Rest of the Story: Ramona Park from the Inside Out
Gail Snow will share some of the little-known facts and strange attractions uncovered during research for her forthcoming book, Remarkable Ramona Park.
10:30-11:15am
The Grand Rapids Historical Commission presents: Tom Logan - Uncovering the Unexpected: Curiosities of Heritage Hill History
The author of Almost Lost: Building and Preserving Heritage Hill has discovered previously unknown owners, buildings that were razed and replaced early in the 20th century, family connections among properties, and other curiosities.
11:30-12:15pm
The Western Michigan Genealogical Society presents: Don Bryant - In Their Own Words: How Transportation Shaped Early Grand Rapids
Using oral histories of early Heritage Hill residents recorded in the 1970s, Don Bryant will focus on transportation and the effect rapid progress had on neighborhood dynamics and family traditions during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
12:15 -12:45pm
Enjoy your reserved boxed lunch in the auditorium *Details in green at bottom.
12:30-1:45pm
The Grand Rapids Public Museum presents: Gina Bivins, Chris Carron, Alex Forist, and Veronica Kandl - Imagining Michigan Experiences in the Civil War
Grand Rapids Public Museum staff will explain how original letters, diaries, documents and actual objects are being used to create a temporary exhibit celebrating the sesquicentennial of the Civil War.
2:00-2:45pm
The Grand Rapids Civil War Roundtable and the Grand Rapids Public Library present: John Gelderloos and Dave Broene - Lost and Found: Local Civil War Treasures Rediscovered
First, John Gelderloos will tell us about 18-year-old Mariette Hutchins, pen pal and comforter to many Civil War soldiers she may never have met. Then, Dave Broene will exhibit and discuss Spencer Rifle #1919, Custer's brigade prior to the battle of Gettysburg, and the writings of Reuben Randall, of Co. B 3rd Michigan Infantry.
3:00-3:45pm
The Greater Grand Rapids Womens' History Council and the Grand Rapids Public Library present: Jo Ellyn Clarey - Building a Case: Grand Rapids as an Important Suffrage Center
The GGRWHC's Jo Ellyn Clarey will tell the story of local suffragists, share images of their paraphernalia, and recount how we lost and rediscovered this significant piece of Grand Rapids history.
*Boxed Lunches are $6.00 and must be ordered in advance. Please call 988-5492 or email by 5:00pm on January 19 to reserve your lunch. Choices: Chicken salad, turkey, ham, or vegetarian. Included with the sandwich are fresh fruit, potato salad, a cookie, and a bottle of water. Although lunches must be reserved in advance, payment will be made when the lunch is picked up on January 22.
