The Greater Grand Rapids Women's History Council shares throughout the year, but we are especially interested to keep the HISTORY in Women's History Month! During March 2011 we will send posts highlighting events about the historical contributions of women to our community and state.
This week we focus on the Grand Rapids Public Library, where tomorrow, on March 2nd, Civil War reenactors Bruce and Bernadette Butgereit will share the story of Annie Etheridge, a well-known Civil War nurse from Michigan. Etheridge served four years as what we would call a combat medic. GRPL, Main Branch, 111 Library St. NE, 7:00 p.m. Free and open to the public.
Visit the GRPL downtown throughout March to see an exhibit on 50 women lighthouse keepers. We will remind you closer to March 23rd about a program on these women by Patricia Majher, author of Ladies of the Lights: Michigan Women in the U.S. Lighthouse Service. While you're in the library, you can pick up the Legacy Landmarks brochure, a guide for walkers past downtown sites significant to local women's history--or print it from our website: walking tour map and brochure.
Now, look ahead to GGRWHC programming: Next week, on March 10th, Janet Sjaarda Sheeres will share fascinating detail about the arrival of hundreds of single women immigrants joining the Dutch community in Grand Rapids at the turn of the twentieth century. Then, mark your calendars for March 31st, when GGRWHC and WGVU's Shelley Irwin will host Kent County chairwoman Sandi Frost Parrish and former chair Marge Byington Potter to tell tales of women political leaders during economic hard times. More about these programs soon--or check our website! March programs.
Begin each week with a live link to Grand Rapids women's virtual history from the Grand Rapids Historical Commission:
Photo Essay of the Week: Between 1914 and 1950 over one million African Americans moved from the rural South to northern cities in search of better employment and relief from oppression. Among them was Grand Rapids' Thelma Estelle Garnett: http://www.historygrandrapids.org/explore.php?cat=2&essay=27
Finally, check our calendar on the GGRWHC website anytime: calendar. Watch your e-mail and Facebook accounts for updates during the month, and help us spread the word about March programming by clicking on the "Forward to a Friend" button at the top of this newsletter. If you have received this as a forward, click on the "Join Our Mailing List" button in the left column and receive the next newsletter directly from us. Now start marking your calendar for Women's History Month!
