Abandoned Midwest (Hybrid)

Mid-Continent Public Library – Midwest Genealogy Center 3440 S. Lee's Summit Road, Independence, MO, United States

Across the heartland, abandoned and forgotten towns hold relics of lives, dreams, and businesses. Photographer Regina Daniel shares reminders of the past through stories and photos of Midwestern ghost towns.

BALLOT THEFT: BURGLARY, MURDER, COVERUP – Blue Springs South

Mid-Continent Public Library – Blue Springs South 2220 S. 7 Hwy., Blue Springs, MO, United States

Gary Jenkins tells the story of how President Harry Truman asked James Pendergast to stop local Fifth District congressman Roger Slaughter from being reelected. The Kansas City Mob rigged the election. When their machinations were discovered, the mob blew a safe, stole the evidence, and then committed murder to cover up their actions.

The Rise and Fall of Napoleon Bonaparte

Kansas City Public Library – Plaza Branch 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO, United States

Historians have referred to Napoleon as the Emperor of France, the God of War, and the father of modern Europe. Jonathan Abel, associate professor of military history at the Command and General Staff College in Ft. Leavenworth, sides with those who describe Napoleon as one of the most interesting people in modern history.

Preserved! The 1859 Jail Museum

1859 Jail Museum 217 N Main Street, Independence, MO, United States

David Jackson, local historian, will be presenting information about his book “Lockdown” and will be giving an overview of the history of the 1859 Jail.

Floods, Fires, and Buried Trains: Immigrant Stories of the Historic West Bottoms

Kansas City Public Library - Central Library 14 West 10th Street, Kansas City, MO, United States

The bustling, often chaotic, West Bottoms of the late 19th and early 20th centuries attracted dreamers of every stripe. Immigrants to Kansas City arrived by trains and horse-drawn conveyances seeking a better life in the fetid air perfumed by the stench of manure, burnt coal, and stale beer from nearby packing houses and saloons.

Ballot Theft: Burglary, Murder, Coverup – Midwest Genealogy Center

Mid-Continent Public Library – Midwest Genealogy Center 3440 S. Lee's Summit Road, Independence, MO, United States

Gary Jenkins tells the story of how President Harry Truman asked James Pendergast to stop local Fifth District congressman Roger Slaughter from being reelected. The Kansas City Mob rigged the election. When their machinations were discovered, the mob blew a safe, stole the evidence, and then committed murder to cover up their actions.

KC Garment District: Piecing Together the Past – Grain Valley

Mid-Continent Public Library – Grain Valley 400 SW Buckner Tarsney Rd., Grain Valley, MO, United States

The KC Garment District once represented the largest market of coats and suits in the U.S. Explore its history and find out what is left of the industry and the district today.

Men of No Reputation: Robert Boatright, the Buckfoot Gang, and the Fleecing of Middle America

Kansas City Public Library - Central Library 14 West 10th Street, Kansas City, MO, United States

Although little remembered today, Robert Boatright was one of the greatest con men of the early 20th century. With the assistance of a confederacy of crooks known as the Buckfoot Gang, he preyed upon the Midwest gentry and fixed athletic contests in the turn-of-the-century Ozarks.