“Grow Up St. Louis” by Jim Merkel.
This is the definitive look at what it was like to be a kid in St. Louis from 1900 to the present. Jim Merkel, who previously wrote four books about St. Louis, started by interviewing more than 100 people who grew up in the area – rich and poor, black and white, known and unknown. To this, he added many dozens of pictures, first-person stories by others about the early 1900s, commentaries about how kids lived in ten different periods since 1900, along with illuminating facts about each of those periods. Merkel’s presentation will clearly show how much the events of our childhood shaped the rest of our lives.
“Clothing of the 18th Century” will be presented by Karyn Albers & Kim Barber”.
Women of the 18th century, much like us, needed clothing for warmth and comfort. Again, much like us, ideas of warmth and comfort were quickly abandoned when fashion came into play. Clothing played differing roles in the 18th century be it for work, gatherings or formal occasions. This presentation will provide an overview of the history of women’s clothing from Revolutionary War era.
“A Step Through Time” presented by Ryan Vogt, Natural Resources Specialist with the U.S. Army Corps. Of Engineers of the Kaskaskia River Project.
Topics that will be covered range from the planning and building of the project to today’s operations, locking a barge through and managing our natural resources. Many pictures and videos will be shown highlighting the project’s key points and events during a typical year.
“Tim Berg & the Kurtz Boys” will be providing the entertainment for our annual “Friday Night at the Museum”!
Please join us for an enjoyable evening of music, dancing, touring our galleries and visiting with our volunteers in the History Museum of Monroe County’s Allscheid-Metzger Gallery located at 724 Elaine Drive, Waterloo, IL 62298. More information later!! This is Friday 13th!!!
“Remembering the Steamer Admiral” presented by Anne & James Blum.
Annie grew up close to the Mississippi River and she worked on the River Steamer Admiral for over thirteen years. Her husband Jim was the mate on the Steamer Delta Queen. They met when the DQ came to St. Louis for a visit. She began volunteering at the Mercantile Library on the campus of UMSL where the Streckfus papers are stored. Her work experience and history came together in two books: The Steamer Admiral and Streckfus Steamers, and The Steamer Admiral. Annie will be sharing photographs, history and memories of the Admiral many of us had the pleasure of experiencing!
“Navajo Code Talkers” presented by Lola DeGroff.
The government would not let the Navajo speak their native language in school. Yet, nearly 450 of those Navajo Indians helped the Allies win World War II! Join us to learn more about the special contributions these Navajo Indians made to America!
“Lively Family Indian Massacere” presented by Mike Jones.
Travel back in time and discover the history surrounding the deaths of the Lively family. You will see their graves, the site of the massacre and learn about the Indians who committed the deed. Mike Jones, an avid historian, has visited many sites pertaining to the massacre and has uncovered lost secrets.
“The Curse of Kaskaskia” by Shane Wagner.
“Ghosts by the Riverside: The Haunted History of Chester and Old Kaskaskia” presented by Shane Wagner who will highlight the origins of the Curse of Kaskaskia and the Haunting of Chester’s historic Landmark building along with some of the local ghost stories which are nearly 300 years old. With a recorded history stretching back to the late 17th Century, the Middle Mississippi Valley has a great tradition of folklore through the ages! Today’s program is based on the book, “Ghosts by the Riverside: The Haunted History of Chester and Old Kaskaskia” a study of the origins of various folk legends in the Chester area which was released by Shane Wagner and the Chester Public Library last year.
“My Quiltworx Journey” by Julie Connell.
Julie’s quilting journey began with her introduction to Quiltworx-Paper Piecing Process and designs by Judy Niemeyer. Julie Connell will be sharing her experiences with her first Quiltworx attempt, followed by a quilt trunk show featuring several of Judy’s unique quilt designs. There will also be time for questions and answers!
“The National Archives: Past, Present and Future” by Wesley Braswell, the Lead Archives Technician at the Civilian Personal Records Center located in Valmeyer, IL.
Join us to learn more about the history of the National Archives in St. Louis from how this agency began, to the collections handled by the Archives and how to request copies of the many records stored in their holdings. With millions of records available, the National Archives & Records Administration is one of the largest holdings of records in the country.
