History Hounds® Lecture Series
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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.
Wednesday,
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The Great Fennville Train Robberywith Paul Trap, Lexington Group in Transportation History—Michigan Chapter
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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. |
Tuesday,
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Most Wanted: Fred “Killer” Burkewith Chriss Lyon, Author and Historian
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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. |
Wednesday,
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Odawa in the Twentieth Centurywith Eric Hemenway, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians
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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. |
Tuesday,
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History Hounds Trivia: Kibbles of Knowledgewith Robert Myers, Historical Society of Michigan
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History Hounds How well do you know your state? Grab some paper and a pencil to play along in this Michigan history trivia game. The 15-point multiple-choice game will determine your mastery of useless knowledge that will earn you bragging rights among friends and family. No fair Googling or phoning a friend! Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Wednesday,
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A Bomber an Hour: The Willow Run Plantwith Ralph Hotton, Yankee Air Museum
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History Hounds 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. |
Tuesday,
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The Poisoned City: The Flint Water Crisiswith Anna Clark, Author and Journalist
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History Hounds The Flint Water Crisis has revealed how long-simmering unresolved issues—including toxic lead in drinking water systems, segregation, and concentrated poverty—do not go away simply by ignoring them. This session will explore that crisis and how drinking water, infrastructure inequality, racism, and urban neglect have drastically transformed American cities. Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Wednesday,
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Hauling Wind and Heaving Short: Language of the Lakemenwith Ken Pott, Meijer Heritage Center
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History Hounds Come discover the golden age of sailing on the Great Lakes, what life was like aboard ship, the special terms and jargon used by Great Lakes mariners, and more. All of the content was culled from the logs, diaries, and account books of nineteenth-century lakemen and associated marine supply houses. Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Tuesday,
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Idlewild: A Respite From Racismwith Morris Thomas, Michigan State University
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History Hounds Encore Presentation: Established in 1912, Idlewild welcomed African Americans with no restrictions at a time when segregation was rampant. The small town eventually became one of the most popular African-American resorts in the Midwest. Join us and journey back to the decades when Idlewild offered rest, relaxation, and a respite from racism. Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Tuesday,
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History Hounds Trivia: Kibbles of Knowledgewith Robert Myers, Historical Society of Michigan
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History Hounds How well do you know your state? Grab some paper and a pencil to play along in this Michigan history trivia game. The 15-point multiple-choice game will determine your mastery of useless knowledge that will earn you bragging rights among friends and family. No fair Googling or phoning a friend! Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Wednesday,
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A Woman’s Place Is Under the Dome: Michigan’s Capitol and the Woman’s Suffrage Movementwith Valerie Marvin, State of Michigan
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History Hounds 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. |
Tuesday,
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The Bark and Bite of the White Pine Logging Erawith Hillary Pine, Michigan History Center
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History Hounds The white pine logging era pumped $4 billion into Michigan’s economy—that is more than was made during the California Gold Rush. Join us for a look at the effects of nineteenth-century logging on Michigan’s landscape, life in a logging camp, and the early conservation efforts that brought our forests back to life. |
Wednesday,
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Salvaging History: Rescuing WWII Warbirds from Lake Michiganwith Taras Lysenko, A & T Recovery
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History Hounds A & T Recovery has salvaged about 40 rare World War II aircraft from Lake Michigan. Lost in aircraft carrier training accidents, these airplanes have been located, recovered, and restored on behalf of the National Naval Aviation Museum and are now displayed in America’s most prestigious aviation museums and airports. Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Tuesday,
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Fayette: From Company Town to Historic Townsitewith Troy Henderson, Department of Natural Resources—Fayette Townsite
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History Hounds Fayette was once a bustling U.P. industrial iron-smelting town from 1867 to 1891. Today, it is a historic townsite located within a state park. Join us to learn the history of Fayette, its community, and its buildings. The speaker will also highlight the continued preservation and interpretation efforts at the remarkably preserved historic site. Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Wednesday,
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PBB: The Poisoning of Michiganwith Edward Lorenz, Alma College (Ret.)
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History Hounds 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. |
Tuesday,
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Of Style and Structure: The Architecture of Detroitwith Wendy Evans, Wayne State University
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History Hounds Detroit’s history would not be complete without including its remarkable architecture, which offers a mix of styles of buildings designed by a variety of well-known architects. This session will explore the city’s architectural history from the nineteenth century to the present, focusing particularly on those buildings which still exist today. Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
There will not be a History Hounds presentation on Wednesday, November 25, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. |
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Happy Thanksgiving! |
Tuesday,
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How to Find a Lost French Fort (and What to Do With It Once You Do)with Michael Nassaney, Western Michigan University
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History Hounds Come learn about the Fort St. Joseph Archaeological Project’s latest discoveries. This joint initiative of the city of Niles and Western Michigan University seeks to excavate, interpret, and preserve the site of Fort St. Joseph, a French—and, later, British—mission, garrison, and trading post occupied from 1691 to 1781. Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Wednesday,
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Pedaling Beyond the Petticoats: Women Cyclists in the Gilded Agewith Roger Gilles, Grand Valley State University
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History Hounds 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. |
Tuesday,
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Roosevelt’s Tree Army: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Michiganwith Hillary Pine, Michigan History Center
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History Hounds In the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), a New Deal program, set up camp. CCC enrollees worked on conservation projects throughout Michigan, altering the landscape in ways still visible today. Was your grandpa or dad a “CCC Boy”? Learn about the important work he did and the program’s impact on its participants. Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
There will not be a History Hounds presentation on Wednesday, December 23, due to the Christmas holiday. |
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Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! |
There will not be a History Hounds presentation on Tuesday, December 29, due to the New Year holiday. |
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Happy New Year! |
Refunds will not be issued for cancellations less than one week before each lecture.
