Join the Evanston History Center as its Fall 2010 Under the Buffalo series kicks off with: “The Wreck of the Lady Elgin” a presentation by Valerie Van Heest, a Michigan-based, award-winning author, shipwreck explorer,  and inductee in the Women Divers Hall of Fame.

When her hand touched the wood stock of a musket laying in a field of debris on the bottom of Lake Michigan, all that remains of the once palatial sidewheel steamer Lady Elgin, it ignited a passion for the study of the tragic circumstances of her sinking in 1860, which resulted in the deaths of more than 300 people. Now, 150 years after the worst disaster on the open waters of Lake Michigan, Valerie Van Heest brings the audience back in time….

…To the golden age of passenger travel on the Great Lakes…
to the eve of a presidential election…
to the brink of Civil War facing the young nation…
and… to a dark, stormy night when 400 excursionists on board the Lady Elgin were awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of a terrible crash.

Within just a few hours, most of them would perish in the worst accident on the open waters.

Join the Evanston History Center for a look back at that tragedy as Valerie Van Heest reveals how the documentation of the shipwreck site serves as a testament to those lost on the Lady Elgin.

Reservations are recommended

For more information or to make reservations, contact the Evanston History Center at (847) 475-3410, send an e-mail to Jenny Thompson at jthompson@evanstonhistorycenter.org

...less

Join the Evanston History Center as its Fall 2010 Under the Buffalo series kicks off with: “The Wreck of the Lady Elgin” a presentation by Valerie Van Heest, a Michigan-based, award-winning author, shipwreck explorer,  an... more

Join the Evanston History Center as its Fall 2010 Under the Buffalo Series kicks off with:

“The Wreck of the Lady Elgin,” a presentation by Valerie van Heest, a Michigan-based award-winning author, shipwreck explorer, and inductee in the Women Divers Hall of Fame.

When Valerie van Heest touched the wood stock of a musket laying in a filed of debris on the bottom of Lake Michigan–all that remains of the once palatial sidewheel steamer Lady Elgin–it ignited a passion for the study of the tragic circumstances of her sinking in 1860, which resulted in the deaths of more than 300 people. Now, 150 years after the worst disaster on the open waters of Lake Michigan, Valerie Van Heest, an award-winning author, exhibit designer and member of the Women Divers Hall of Fame, brings the audience back in time….

…To the golden age of passenger travel on the Great Lakes…to the eve of a presidential election…to the brink of Civil War facing the young nation…and… to a dark, stormy night when 400 excursionists on board the Lady Elgin were awakened in the middle of the night by the sound of a terrible crash.

Within just a few hours, most of them would perish in the worst accident on the open waters of the Great Lakes. More than a century later, perspective of time and documentation of the shipwreck site offers testament to the tragedy of those lost on the Lady Elgin.

Valerie van Heest has been honored with several awards from the Historical Society of Michigan for her books, museum exhibits, and efforts to preserve Great Lakes Maritime History. A passionate and engaging speaker, she uses dramatic historic and underwater images to tell the stories of some of the Great Lakes most significant lost vessels. Valerie serves as director of the non-profit, Michigan Shipwreck Research Associates and trustee of the Underwater Archaeological Society of Chicago. She is the author of Icebound! The Adventures of Young George Sheldon and the SS Michigan, and co-author of Buckets and Belts: Evolution of the Great Lakes Self-Unloader. Her latest book, Lost on the Lady Elgin, debuts in 2010.

...less

Join the Evanston History Center as its Fall 2010 Under the Buffalo Series kicks off with:

“The Wreck of the Lady Elgin,” a presentation by Valerie van Heest, a Michigan-based award-winning author, shipwreck explorer, and inductee in t... more

Join the Evanston History Center for a celebration honoring the legacy of Evanston’s Emerson Street Branch YMCA with a special screening of the 2010 documentary, “Unforgettable — Memories of the Emerson Street Branch YMCA.”

Recently featured in the New York Times, the 30 minute film tells the story of the African American YMCA that existed in Evanston from 1909 to 1969. Twenty hours of interviews with thirty-two Evanstonians have been woven into a collective story, revealing how the Emerson Y served as an anchor for the social and civic life of Evanston’s African American community and left an unforgettable legacy for generations.

The screening will be followed by a discussion with many of the film’s participants, as well as with filmmaker, Susan Hope Engel; founder of Shorefront, Dino Robinson; and others.

A reception will follow the screening and discussion.  The event is co-sponsored by the Evanston History Center and the McGaw YMCA.

The event is free and open to the public. Seating is limited.

Reservations are required: (847) 475-3410 or jthompson@evanstonhistorycenter.org

...less

Join the Evanston History Center for a celebration honoring the legacy of Evanston’s Emerson Street Branch YMCA with a special screening of the 2010 documentary, “Unforgettable — Memories of the Emerson Street Branch YMCA.”

Recently... more

Come see the Evanston History Center's new exhibit highlighting the many contributions women and women’s organizations have made to the Evanston community. The exhibit will run through February, 2011 and is viewable when the Dawes House is open for tours — Thursday - Sunday from 1-4 pm. Guided tours of the exhibit and special events are also available.

Contact the Evanston History Center at (847) 475-3410 for more information.
...less

Come see the Evanston History Center's new exhibit highlighting the many contributions women and women’s organizations have made to the Evanston community. The exhibit will run through February, 2011 and is viewable when the Dawes House is ope... more