Join the local historical society at any or all three of its early April History Speaks events.
History Speaks at the Woodson History Center
For a “tipsy” history lesson, the Marathon County Historical Society presents “Wisconsin Historic Taverns and Bars,” at 2 p.m. April 6 at the Woodson History Center, 410 McIndoe St., Wausau.
The speaker is Jim Draeger, author of “Bottoms Up: A Toast to Wisconsin’s Historic Bars & Breweries.” He has worked in the field of historic preservation and architecture at the Wisconsin Historical Society for more than 20 years.
Beginning with inns and saloons, Draeger will explore the rise of taverns and breweries, the effects of temperance and Prohibition, and attitudes about gender, ethnicity, and morality. He’ll trace the development of the megabreweries, dominance of the giants, and the emergence of microbreweries.
There is no admission fee for this presentation; however, donations are appreciated. Registration is not required.
This presentation will preview the Historical Society’s May fundraiser, the Westside Wausau Historic Tavern Tour on May 19. Buses will take patrons to hear costumed storytellers recount tales from each tavern on the route. Watch for details about ticket prices, times and locations on the Historical Society website and Facebook page.
History Speaks at the Woodson History Center
Author Jerry Apps will launch his latest book, “The Civilian Conservation Corps in Wisconsin,” at 1 p.m. April 7 at the Woodson History Center, 410 McIndoe St., Wausau. He will sign books and talk about what he learned while writing it.
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a popular New Deal relief program from 1933 to 1942. The program hired young men to live in rustic camps while they planted trees, cut trails and worked to reverse the effects of soil erosion. The book is the first comprehensive history of the CCC in Wisconsin. It tells the stories of the CCC boys, who found purpose in their labor while preserving Wisconsin’s natural beauty at more than 125 CCC camps scattered across the state from the Northwoods to the Driftless Area.
There is no admission fee; however, donations are appreciated. Books will be available for purchase. Advance registration is not required.
History Speaks in Stratford
Gilman Halsted and Norman Stockwell will present “Healing the Wounds of the My Lai Massacre: From 1968 through 2018” at 6:30 p.m. April 8 at Zion Lutheran Church, Stratford.
Fifty years after the My Lai Massacre, memorials and peace parks have replaced the burned out homes of villagers who were gunned down by U.S. soldiers. The massacre and subsequent cover-up by the U.S. Army became the biggest scandal of the Vietnam War. Since then, efforts toward bringing healing to the My Lai area have included building two peace parks and development projects organized by the Madison Quakers Inc. that have built three schools and established micro loan funds for women.
Speakers Halsted and Stockwell have visited Vietnam and reported for U.S. media about the massacre and about the peace and reconciliation projects. Halsted is a retired Wisconsin Public Radio reporter who lives in Madison. Stockwell is the publisher of The Progressive magazine.
This talk is free. Donations are appreciated. Registration is not required.
For more information, call the Marathon County Historical Society at 715-842-5750.
Feature photo of Admiral Bar/Intermission courtesy Marathon County Historical Society.
