|
|
|
|
|
Wisconsin History Tour Programs Feature Magic,
Remarkable Homes, Giant, Sturgeon, a Happy Hour & More!
|
The Wisconsin History Tour, a new statewide outreach program from the Wisconsin Historical Society that's on display at the Museum at the Castle in Appleton this month, comes alive next week with special programming. From March 17-20, the Tour will welcome authors, genealogists, archivists, architects, and archeologists to present special programs for all ages. The Wisconsin History Tour: Sharing Wisconsin's Stories One Community at a Time centers on a handcrafted traveling exhibit and history-related programming that offers a sampling of the history and stories that the Society has been gathering since its founding in 1846. The exhibit will be on display through April 30.
Programming week kicks off March 17 with a 11 a.m. exhibit "Meet and Greet" welcome by Tour Host and Wisconsin Historical Society Director of Outreach Jim Draeger followed by noontime "Magical Wisconsin" exploration of the spell-binding association of magic with the state of Wisconsin, and a 3 p.m. panel discussion of the "History and Future of the Fox Locks." That evening, the Tour presents a special showing the new Wisconsin Public Television documentary "Remarkable Homes" that will include details from the owners of one featured home - the Havilah Babcock Home in Neenah. (Several lucky attendees will win a free private tour of the local mansion!) The program week events scheduled for the rest of the Appleton Tour stop are:
TOUR PROGRAM SCHEDULE
(Events are free and will take place at History Museum at the Castle, Appleton, unless noted)
TUESDAY, MARCH 17
Meet and Greet at the Exhibit
11 am
Join your hosts, Jim Draeger, Society Director of Outreach, and Mary Jane Connor, Wisconsin History Tour Coordinator, for a personal welcome and a guided tour of the exhibit.
Magical Wisconsin
Noon
Illusionist Tristan Crist; Archivist Peter Shrake; Circus World Executive Director Scott O'Donnell; and Houdini aficionado Tom Boldt, CEO of The Boldt Company, will explore the spell-binding association of magic with the state of Wisconsin in this dynamic program. Fill your day with MAGIC through a mix of live performance and associated elements from the collection at Circus World!
The History of the Fox Locks
3 pm
Delve into the history and future of the Fox River in a panel discussion that will explore the fascinating history of the lock system, the rare survival of its hand operated locks, and the potential for future recreation and tourism. Moderated by State Historic Preservation Officer Jim Draeger, the panel includes Harlen Kiesow, co-CEO of the Fox River Navigational System Authority; Candice Mortara, executive director of the Fox-Wisconsin Heritage Parkway; and Anne Biebel of Cornerstone Preservation, historical consultant for lock preservation projects.
Remarkable Homes - Premiere Screening Event
6 pm
Join State Historic Preservation Officer Jim Draeger and tour some of the state's most majestic and historic homes through the screening of Wisconsin Public Television's newest documentary, "Remarkable Homes," based on the Society Press book Wisconsin's Own: Twenty Remarkable Homes. This exclusive event features an insider's look at what it is like to live in and maintain the Havilah Babcock House in Neenah, with owner Peter Adams. Twenty lucky attendees will win tickets to a post-event private tour of the home.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18
Practical Preservation for Your Family Treasures
10 am
Wisconsin Historical Society Preservation Coordinator Katie Mullen will share pragmatic ways to preserve a variety of family treasures, including the scrapbooks and digital photographs that you create now, as well as inherited family heirlooms or archives. Learn when and where to find a conservator to help.
A Hmong Family Journey: Mai Ya's Story
Noon
Learn the immigrant story of Hmong in Wisconsin through the experiences of a young girl and her family, from a refugee camp in Thailand to their new life in Wisconsin. Sheila Cohen is the author of Mai Ya's Long Journey, a book in the Badger Biographies series for young readers from the Society Press.
Discover the Roots of Your Family Tree and Local History
2 pm
Join Lori Bessler, Society Reference Librarian, and Deb Anderson, Green Bay Area Research Center Archivist for a two-part session discussing the Society's vast genealogical and history resources located in Madison and throughout the state at the ARCs. Then, try to stump the archivists with your questions as Bessler and Anderson work to unearth resources that will solve your genealogical mysteries.
"Risking Everything," Presented by Michael Edmonds as part of the Outagamie County Historical Society's Annual Dinner
5:30 pm
Learn about the volunteers and Mississippi residents who risked everything in the epic civil rights struggle to register Mississippi's black voters during the summer of 1964, Freedom Summer. In this special presentation, Michael Edmonds, deputy director of the Wisconsin Historical Society's Library-Archives, will share these heroic stories, as well as the experiences of the graduate students who gathered documents for the Society to preserve for future generations. Edmonds' Society Press book Risking Everything: A Freedom Summer Reader will be available for purchase after the presentation.
THURSDAY, MARCH 19
Behind the Scenes: The Story Behind the Novel and Film "Giant" by Appleton's Edna Ferber
10 am
Discover the inspiration behind Appleton writer Edna Ferber's novel and film adaptation, "Giant" with Mary Huelsbeck, Assistant Director of the Society's Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research. Once a reporter for the "Appleton Daily Crescent," Edna Ferber went on to be a Pulitzer Prize winner. Her novel "Giant" and its film adaptation, starring Rock Hudson, Elizabeth Taylor, and James Dean were a lot like Texas - big, controversial, and celebrated. Come and learn about Ferber's inspiration for writing the novel, and how the film was made, from materials and papers donated to the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research from her great-niece.
Preserving the Past in Today's Kitchen
Noon
Join Lead Interpreter at the Wade House, Kathy Dimig, and learn how to apply old world methods of preserving foods in your kitchen! Find out how Wisconsinites smoked meats and preserved milk and fruits in the mid-19th century and how they are similar and different from your practices today. Enjoy samples of jams and cheese made with the techniques featured in the presentation.
History Happy Hour
5:30-7 pm
Jim's Place, 223 East College Avenue
Join us for History Happy Hour at Jim's Place on 223 East College Avenue, Appleton, for a speakeasy history happy hour. Yak it up over some vintage cocktails, take mug shots in our photo booth and decorate your own 1930s tie or flapper headband. The activities are free, but the hooch is not! Signed copies of the Society Press's best-selling book Bottoms Up: A Taste of Wisconsin's Bar & Brewing History will be available for purchase.
FRIDAY, MARCH 20
Your Stuff, Your Story
10 am
Virtually everyone collects something. We want to know what you collect. Bring an item that has a story to tell such as a historic photo, art, glassware, clothing, or collectables such as breweriana or dolls. Come share your stories with us!
People of the Sturgeon
Noon
Dive into a good-and true-fish tale with science writer Kathleen Schmidt Kline from the Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute, and co-author of the Society Press book People of the Sturgeon: Wisconsin's Love Affair with an Ancient Fish. Journey through a colorful cast of characters, from conservationists and spear-makers to fishermen and decoy carvers.
After its Appleton stop, the Tour heads to Eau Claire, Superior, Waukesha and beyond in 2015. To learn more about the Tour, visit www.wisconsinhistorytour.org
The Wisconsin History Tour is generously underwritten in part by the Kohler Trust for Preservation and brought to Appleton by Bemis Company Foundation and BMO Harris Bank with additional support from Judd S. Alexander Foundation, Culver's, Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, Green Bay Packers Foundation, Hilbert Communications, Murco Fund, Plenco, Racine Community Foundation, Racine Rotary Foundation and We Energies Foundation. Promotional support is provided by American Printing and Wisconsin Public Radio.
# # #
|
MEDIA: For more information about the Wisconsin History Tour or to interview any tour participant, contact the Wisconsin History Tour Coordinator Mary Jane Connor at 608-212-5497 or maryjane.connor@wisconsinhistory.org. |
|
|
Wisconsin Historical Society
816 State Street
Madison, WI 53706
 Collecting, Preserving and Sharing Stories Since 1846
|
|
|
|
|
|
