HISTORY LECTURE SERIES
School is not just for kids! Greenmead's History Lecture series is sponsored by the Livonia Historical Commission and welcomes guest speakers on a variety of topics. Check out our schedule of events to find a speaker or topic of interest. All History Lecture Series programs are free, no registration required, and take place at Greenmead Historical Park's Alexander Blue House.
7 p.m. WEDNESDAY, NOV. 1 - 20TH CENTURY RETAILING IN DOWNTOWN DETROIT
At its peak in the 1950s, Downtown Detroit’s Woodward Avenue boasted over four million square feet of retail space, making it one of America’s preferred retail destinations. This presentation will take a closer look at some of our home-grown icons - including Hudson’s, Sam’s, Woolworth and Fyfe’s Shoes - with images, advertisements, catalogs, and more!
2 p.m. TUESDAY, JAN. 30 - MICHIGAN’S QUEST FOR STATEHOOD
Presented by Roger Rosentreter
Did you know Michigan was admitted to the Union on Jan. 26, 1837? Our path to statehood was slowed by the a skirmish with Ohio known as the Toledo War. Come join us as we hear about the drama that led up to Michigan becoming the 26th state in the Union.
2 p.m. MONDAY, FEB. 12 - FRANCES HARPER INN
Presented by Karren Yurgalite
The Frances Harper Inn was the first rooming house for Black women in Detroit. The inn opened in 1915 and was operated by the Christian Industrial Club. Come learn more about the significance of this place in Detroit and its recent placement on the National Register of Historic Places.
2 p.m. MONDAY, MARCH 25 - DESEGREGATING BOBLO BOATS: THE STORY OF SARAH E. RAY
Presented by Aaron Schillinger
Many Detroiters fondly remember Boblo Island, yet few remember that the amusement park and its ferries were once segregated. Hear the story of Sarah Elizabeth Ray, who filed a criminal complaint that paved the way for Brown v. Board of Education.
2 p.m. TUESDAY, APRIL 16 - FAMOUS FIRSTS: THE HISTORY OF THE PACKARD PROVING GROUNDS
Presented by Roger Luksik
The Packard Proving Grounds are listed on the National Registry of Historic Places for a reason – world records were accomplished there. Vintage and current images, will be used to share the history of the proving grounds from opening day in June 1928 until its closing in 1956.
6 p.m. MONDAY, MAY 6 - PROHIBITION’S PROVING GROUND
Presented by Joseph Boggs
In the 1910s, many Toledo-Detroit-Windsor corridor residents on wheels for the first time, just as a wave of prohibitionist sentiment swept the area. Dry laws soon took effect and rumrunners fully utilized the area’s robust automobile culture to exploit weaknesses in prohibition legislation and enforcement.