History Hounds® Lecture Series
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Or call (800) 692-1828.
All History Hounds® presentations will be virtual until further notice.
If you enjoy “sniffing out” and exploring fascinating historical subjects, the Historical Society of Michigan’s History Hounds lecture series offers weekly in-depth presentations, allowing attendees to curl up with a myriad of historical topics.
Schedule
- Evening lectures are presented on the second and fourth Wednesdays of every month from 7 to 8 p.m. Eastern Time.
- Our Off the Leash History Hounds lectures come to you on Tuesdays at noon Eastern Time during weeks that don’t have a Wednesday evening program. 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 5 p.m. on Monday (for Tuesday programs) and at noon on Wednesday (for evening programs).
- Instructions on how to remote-in to the lecture will be sent to attendees the day before each program to the email you use to register.
All times below are Eastern Time.
Tuesday,
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General Alger’s Railroad: The Detroit, Bay City & Alpena Railroadwith David K. Vaughan, Air Force Institute of Technology
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History Hounds Russell A. Alger–soldier, politician, businessman, and human dynamo–wanted a railroad to link Bay City and Alpena. Join us to learn how Alger overcame huge engineering obstacles, including bridging the Rifle River, to complete the Detroit, Bay City & Alpena Railroad (later the Detroit & Mackinac) in 1889. |
Wednesday,
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Never Making It Home: The Steamboat Sultana Disaster of 1865with Gene Salecker, Sultana Association
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History Hounds As the Civil War was ending, nearly 2,000 recently released Union ex-prisoners-of-war, including hundreds from Michigan, were crowded onto the riverboat Sultana. When the Sultana exploded and burned near Memphis on April 27, 1865, almost 1,200 people died. Join us to learn about the greatest maritime disaster in U.S. history. |
Tuesday,
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Ending Tomorrow: The Bath School Disasterwith Harold Schechter, Author
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History Hounds In 1927, while the Michigan township of Bath was celebrating a new primary school, Andrew P. Kehoe had other plans. On May 18, he detonated explosives at the school–ending the lives of thirty-eight children and six adults. Join us to learn about this Michigan tragedy and its ramifications on the community. |
Wednesday,
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Crossing the Line: Immigration Politics on the U.S./Canada Borderwith Ashley Johnson Bavery, Eastern Michigan University
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History Hounds During the early 20th century, thousands of illegal European immigrants crossed the US-Canada border at Windsor to work in Michigan’s auto industry. Learn how this often-overlooked border area influenced government policies toward illegal immigration, business and labor union practices, and the experience of being an illegal immigrant in industrial America. |
Tuesday,
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The Rocks That Made Michigan: Great Lakes Geologywith Stephen Kesler, University of Michigan
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History Hounds Geologic events formed Michigan and the Great Lakes region. Fossils are only a small part of a story that includes routes of the early explorers, glaciers, reefs, mountain building, and a giant meteor impact. Join us to learn about the “prehistory of history” and the geology that shaped our state. |
There will not be a History Hounds presentation on Wednesday, November 24, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. |
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Happy Thanksgiving! |
Tuesday,
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Secret Upper Peninsula: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscurewith Kath Usitalo, Author
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History Hounds Even if you know a fair amount about the Upper Peninsula, learn a few more facts and impress your friends and family with the “secrets” of the area in this session, including fun facts and trivia, local food, ghosts and lore, and others. It is time to learn more, eh? |
Wednesday,
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Reams of Hate: Henry Ford’s Antisemitic Newspaperwith Catherine Cangany, Jewish Historical Society of Michigan
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History Hounds Henry Ford’s antisemitic newspaper, The Dearborn Independent, was first published in 1919. Despite its international reach and considerable backing, the Jewish community successfully shut down the paper in 1927. However, articles are still published today and used to inspire extremist groups. Delve into the history of this complicated Michigan legacy with this session. Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Tuesday,
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Restoring the Light: Saving the St. Helena Lighthousewith Mark & Michele VanderVelde, Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association
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History Hounds In 1986, the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association (GLLKA) gathered dedicated volunteers to restore the St. Helena Island Lighthouse. Come and learn the history of the lighthouse, the toll of years of neglect and vandalism, and the remarkable restoration which will be enjoyed for generations to come. Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
Wednesday,
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Little House in the Big Woods: The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilderwith Sue Fedie, Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum
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History Hounds Millions of schoolchildren grew up with the “Little House” books and the opening sentence, “Once upon a time . . . a little girl lived in the Big Woods of Wisconsin.” Join us as the staff of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Pepin, Wisconsin, tells us the author’s story. Registration for this History Hounds will be available soon. |
There will not be a History Hounds presentation on Tuesday, December 28, 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.
