Distinguished Speakers Series 2008
All presentations are at the Maritime Museum’s Hoehl Family Education Center, and are free of charge.
African American in Addison County, Charlotte, and Hinesburg,
1790-1860 Thursday, June 5, 7pm
Jane Williamson, Director of the Rokeby Museum
Join Rokeby Museum Director Jane Williamson as she explores the lives of African Americans in nineteenth century Vermont. Why were there so few African Americans in nineteenth-century Vermont? Williamson thought that this oft asked question at Rokeby Museum, a nationally significant underground railroad site, deserved an informed answer. Using a variety of different historical sources Williamson pieces together a complex picture of this small community, including property ownership, church attendance, voting and marriage.
Independent Spirits Thursday, July 3, 7pm
Gary Kowalski, Minister of the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Burlington and author of Revolutionary Spirits: The Enlightened Faith of America’s Founding Fathers.
Join Reverend Gary Kowalski as he examines the diverse religious landscape that shaped our country from its very inception. Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Ben Franklin were primarily responsible for writing the Declaration of Independence. They and other architects of our nation like George Washington, Tom Paine and James Madison were not only independent spirits when it came to politics … they were also original, often unconventional thinkers on questions of faith. What core convictions and religious ideals guided the men who laid the groundwork for the world’s first experiment in representative government?
Origin and Distribution of Vermont Fishes: Why They Are Where They Are Thursday, August 7, 7pm
Rich Landon, Aquatic Biologist of the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and co-author of Fishes of Vermont
Vermont’s 78 native fish species arrived in Vermont on the tails of the northward retreating glaciers some 10,000-16,000 years ago. Vast water bodies were formed by melting glaciers allowing fishes to migrate into recently uncovered areas. Landon will discuss how and when the various species arrived, and explain some of the current patterns of fish distribution in Vermont. Nonnative species and potential impacts on native populations will also be presented.
Adam Kane, Nautical Archaeologist from the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
Three hundred shipwrecks lie on the bottom of the Hudson River, yet only the smallest fraction have been touched by humans since they sank. Archaeologists from the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum have been among the very few people to venture into this hostile environment to discover its secrets. In just three years of fieldwork finds have included schooners filled with brick and stone, and sloops with cargoes of pottery and coal. Join Kane to discover what treasures lie on the bottom of the Hudson River.
Search for the USS Grunion Thursday, October 2, 2008, 7pm
John Abele
On April 11, 1942 the USS Grunion, a Gato-class submarine, was commissioned into service for the US Navy. By July 30 of that year, the Grunion would make its final communiqué and disappear without a trace. Among the missing, was the ship's commander, Lt. Cmdr. Mannert L Abele. More than 60 years later, his three sons, Bruce, John and Brad, discovered the wreck of the USS Grunion almost a mile below the surface, near Alaska's Aleutian Islands. Join John Abele as he recounts the historical and technological journey of his family’s search for and eventual discovery of the USS Grunion.
Group Tours for Adults at Basin Harbor
Visitors boarding the
replica gunboat Philadelphia II.
We offer several guided tour options. Subject areas can include the Revolutionary War in the Champlain Valley, Nautical Archaeology, and Boatbuilding. Tours generally last an hour and a half, with time afterwards to explore on your own. We offer self-guided groups an introduction to the exhibits, and then let you explore the site at your own pace.
Our facility houses two meeting spaces and a new 100-seat auditorium perfect for presentations. We also have a picnic area and cool drinks in the museum store. If you’re ready for lunch, head across the street to the Red Mill Restaurant at the Basin Harbor Club.
Our programming is flexible; please call to discuss how we can best accommodate your group.
Pricing
Groups of 10+: $8
Registration is required.