History Hounds® Lecture Series
 |
 |
Or call (800) 692-1828.
Due to current circumstances and social distancing, all History Hounds® presentations will be REMOTE ACCESS ONLY until further notice.
You can enjoy the content from the comfort and safety of your home. Connecting is easy! Instructions for remote access will be e-mailed to participants in advance.
If you enjoy “sniffing out” and exploring fascinating historical subjects, the Historical Society of Michigan’s History Hounds lecture series now offers weekly in-depth presentations, allowing attendees to curl up with a myriad of historical topics.
History Hounds Has Grown!
- Our original History Hounds lectures are presented on the second Wednesday evening of every month from 7 to 8 p.m. Michigan’s history is so diverse—here’s your chance to dig up a bone or two of new appreciation to take home.
- Join us for the NEW History Hounds National Edition on the fourth Wednesday evening of every month from 7 to 8 p.m. These presentations will chase down interesting history topics from around the nation.
- Our NEW Off the Leash History Hounds lectures come to you on the first and third Tuesdays of every month from noon to 1 p.m. Take a lunch break, and join us to take a bite out of some intriguing facets of our state’s history.
Details…
- History Hounds is FREE for members of HSM. History Hounds is also free for members of HSM’s member organizations. If you are not a member but would like to become one, see our membership page.
- Nonmembers are welcome to enjoy a lecture for $7.
- An HSM member organization has the option to live-stream the lecture for free for its members or offer the lecture to its membership for free remote viewing.
- The lecture and Q&As usually last about an hour. See the chart below for dates and times.
- Registration for each lecture closes at 3 p.m. the day BEFORE the scheduled talk.
- If you can watch and listen to a video on YouTube or Facebook, you have all the technology you need to join us remotely.*
*Instructions on how to remote-in to the lecture will be sent to attendees several days before each program.
Tuesday,
|
Of Icebergs and Inquiries: Michiganders on the Titanicwith Robert Myers, Historical Society of Michigan
|
History Hounds Encore presentation: When the luxury ocean liner RMS Titanic went down in 1912, many Michiganders tragically lost their lives. Within a week, U.S. Senator William Alden Smith, a native of Dowagiac, convened the U.S. inquiry into the disaster. Learn about the Michigan survivors and victims, as well as Senator Smith’s far-reaching quest for answers. |
Wednesday,
|
Yooper Talk, Eh?with Kathryn Remlinger, Grand Valley State University
|
History Hounds The U.P.’s unique history and cross-section of several cultures has enabled its residents to develop their own dialect over time, providing the area with its own identity through language. Join us as we unravel what it means to talk like a “Yooper” and identify with Michigan’s one-of-a-kind region—the Upper Peninsula. |
Tuesday,
|
Braving the Waves: Lifesaving Service on the Shipwreck Coastwith Bruce Lynn, Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum
|
History Hounds Sailing the Great Lakes is a dangerous task, and scores and scores of sailors have been grateful to Michigan’s lifesaving services throughout the years. Join us to revisit the four original lifesaving stations along Lake Superior’s “Shipwreck Coast” and explore several examples of notable shipwrecks along the U.P.’s coastline. |
Wednesday,
|
Lights! Camera! Action! Making the Movie Gettysburgwith Brian Egen, The Henry Ford
|
History Hounds The epic Civil War movie Gettysburg debuted in 1993 to popular and critical acclaim. Our speaker spent two months filming on location as a “background artist” and in a speaking role as an officer in the 20th Maine Infantry. Using his personal photos, the speaker will share his experiences on the set. |
Tuesday,
|
Motown, Marines, and Medicine: Michigan History Day® Students Presentfacilitated by Amy Bradfield, Historical Society of Michigan, with students Laura Thielman, Zackary Howey, and Ella Johnson
|
History Hounds Join us to view three short documentaries on Motown, the Montford Point Marines, and Dr. Frank Pantridge, which were created by middle and high school students for the Michigan History Day® State Finals. All three films were selected to advance to National History Day. The student filmmakers will be available to answer questions about their research and experience. |
Wednesday,
|
The Birch-Bark Booklets of Simon Pokagonwith Blaire Topash-Caldwell, Pokagon Band of Potawatomi
|
History Hounds During the late nineteenth century, Potawatomi writer and activist Simon Pokagon became a leading spokesman for the Indigenous people of southwest Michigan. Pokagon’s stories, which he published in a series of birch-bark books, refuted anti-Native prejudices and advocated for the environment and Native-American rights. Come learn about the life of this Potawatomi leader. |
Tuesday,
|
Hitchin’ a Ride: Life Aboard Great Lakes Freighterswith Roger Lelievre, Author
|
History Hounds Photographs and videos accompany this depiction of life aboard several Lake Superior vessels. This presentation by the author of Know Your Ships takes attendees through wheelhouses, engine rooms, and galleys as the freighters load and unload cargo, transit the Soo Locks, and pull in and out of ports. |
Wednesday,
|
“Let It Be Well Done”: A Corduroy Remnant of Hull’s Trace in Brownstown, Michiganwith Daniel Harrison, Wayne State University
|
History Hounds During the War of 1812, General William Hull’s troops blazed “Hull’s Trace,” a 200-mile supply line from Ohio to Detroit that crossed the Huron River near the Wyandot village of Brownstown. Learn about the rediscovery of this historic road’s remnants and its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places. |
Tuesday,
|
Michigan at Antietamwith Brian Egen, The Henry Ford
|
History Hounds Michigan soldiers played a key role at the 1862 Battle of Antietam. This program, which is based on the book Michigan at Antietam written by the presenter and Jack Dempsey, discusses Michigan regiments in the battle, Michigan’s connections to the mysterious Lost Order, and the role of Captain George A. Custer of Monroe. |
Tuesday,
|
The Mighty Mac: Connecting Michigan’s Peninsulaswith Kim Nowack, Mackinac Bridge Authority
|
History Hounds From early on, crossing the Straits of Mackinac came with challenges—that is, until the Mackinac Bridge, the nation’s longest suspension bridge, connected the Upper and Lower Peninsulas. But the Mackinac Bridge comes with its own challenges. Join us to learn about the past, present, and future of the “Mighty Mac.” Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Wednesday,
|
The Great Fennville Train Robberywith Paul Trap, Lexington Group in Transportation History—Michigan Chapter
|
History Hounds In 1895, bandits robbed a Chicago & West Michigan train near Fennville. They dynamited the express car and stole bundles of cash. Robbery suspect John Smalley gunned down Detective George Powers in Grand Rapids, and a posse killed Smalley. But was Smalley’s gang the real robbers? Find out in this presentation. Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Tuesday,
|
Most Wanted: Fred “Killer” Burkewith Chriss Lyon, Author and Historian
|
History Hounds In 1929, a St. Joseph policeman was gunned down while investigating a traffic accident. The killer’s trail led to a Stevensville, Michigan, house—belonging to gangster Fred “Killer” Burke. Thompson submachine guns used in the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre were also found. This session explores southwest Michigan’s role as a haven for Al Capone’s gangsters. Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Wednesday,
|
Odawa in the Twentieth Centurywith Eric Hemenway, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians
|
History Hounds The history of Indigenous peoples usually focuses on the distant past, as though their stories ended as the twentieth century began. In reality, the last century was a crucial era for Native communities. This presentation focuses on the Odawa of Northern Michigan and their progress during a challenging time. Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Wednesday,
|
A Bomber an Hour: The Willow Run Plantwith Ralph Hotton, Yankee Air Museum
|
During World War II, Ford Motor Company’s Willow Run bomber plant near Belleville, Michigan, turned out a B-24 Liberator every hour. Built in 1941 and designed by architect Albert Kahn, it was the world’s largest factory under one roof. Come learn how Willow Run helped turn America into the Arsenal of Democracy.
Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Wednesday,
|
A Woman’s Place Is Under the Dome: Michigan’s Capitol and the Woman’s Suffrage Movementwith Valerie Marvin, State of Michigan
|
The fight for woman’s suffrage began in Michigan in 1846, when woman’s rights advocate Ernestine Rose gave two speeches in Michigan’s first Capitol. Women continued to come to the Capitol to advocate for voting rights, but actual suffrage remained an elusive goal. Join us to relive important suffrage moments under Michigan’s dome.
Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Wednesday,
|
PBB: The Poisoning of Michiganwith Edward Lorenz, Alma College (Ret.)
|
In 1973, workers at a St. Louis, Michigan, factory accidentally mixed a flame-retardant chemical, polybrominated biphenyls (PBB), into livestock feed. Millions of affected farm animals were destroyed, but not before Michiganders had consumed PBB in contaminated milk, meat, and eggs. Join us to learn about this tragic episode in Michigan’s history.
Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Wednesday,
|
Pedaling Beyond the Petticoats: Women Cyclists in the Gilded Agewith Roger Gilles, Grand Valley State University
|
The bicycling craze of the 1890s led to a wildly popular—if brief—era of women’s professional bicycle racing. Society discouraged women from engaging in athletics, but some bucked the norms and jumped on their bikes. Learn how these speed and endurance contests helped pave the way for professional women’s sports.
Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Refunds will not be issued for cancellations less than one week before each lecture.
