Rollin’ Down the River: Exploring the Mighty Missouri – Midwest Genealogy Center
Mid-Continent Public Library – Midwest Genealogy Center 3440 S. Lee's Summit Road, Independence, MO, United StatesIn 2016, Larry Campbell spent seven weeks following the Missouri River by car from its (official) source in Three Forks, MT to where it empties into the Mississippi River near St. Louis. Pictures, stories, history, scenery, and people - all are built into this armchair-traveler presentation.
The Rise and Fall of Napoleon Bonaparte
Kansas City Public Library – Plaza Branch 4801 Main Street, Kansas City, MO, United StatesHistorians 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 StatesDavid 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 StatesThe 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 StatesGary 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.
FUN ON THE BLUFF
Fort Osage National Historic Landmark 105 Osage Street, Sibley, MO, United StatesReady to make memories for the whole family? Join us for music, food, storytelling, games and crafts from the past. Take in the views of the Missouri River from the bluffs of this National Landmark, and explore life on the wild frontier of the early 1800s!
KC Garment District: Piecing Together the Past – Grain Valley
Mid-Continent Public Library – Grain Valley 400 SW Buckner Tarsney Rd., Grain Valley, MO, United StatesThe 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 StatesAlthough 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.
The Life and Times of “Wild Bill” Hickok in the Kansas City Area
Kansas City Public Library - Central Library 14 West 10th Street, Kansas City, MO, United StatesBefore he was known as "Wild Bill,” famed frontiersman and gunfighter James Butler Hickok spent three formative years as a young man in the Kansas City area – a period of his life little known to the public. Years later he would return as a national media star and living legend.
Civic Corruption in Pendergast KC – MIDWEST GENEALOGY CENTER
Mid-Continent Public Library – Midwest Genealogy Center 3440 S. Lee's Summit Road, Independence, MO, United StatesThe fix was in on many levels throughout the Kansas City government during the Pendergast era. Join Terence O'Malley as he profiles several notorious cases evidencing that democratic processes were nothing more than a mere inconvenience to many of those in power during the 1920s and 1930s.
Native Tales Along the Lewis and Clark Trail – Blue Ridge Library
Mid-Continent Public Library – Blue Ridge 9253 Blue Ridge Blvd., Kansas City, MO, United StatesJoin storyteller Jim Wallen for stories of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Learn how life changed with the opening of the West to settlement and how fur trappers, pioneers, and Native Americans all were affected by the journey.
Civic Corruption in Pendergast KC – Withers Library
Mid-Continent Public Library – Withers 1665 S. Withers Rd., Liberty, MO, United StatesThe fix was in on many levels throughout the Kansas City government during the Pendergast era. Join Terence O’Malley as he profiles several notorious cases evidencing that democratic processes were nothing more than a mere inconvenience to many of those in power during the 1920s and 1930s.