Uncovering Wisconsin's Past - Summer Speaker Series, Installment 2

The second installment of the Historic Indian Agency House 2014 Summer Speaker Series will take place Tuesday, July 29 at 6:30pm. At this time, historian, educator and author Brad Steinmetz will discuss the decades-spanning and controversial La Farge Dam and Lake Project—that eventually resulted in the Kickapoo Valley Reserve—and the related efforts to gather the oral histories of those land owners affected by this federal endeavor. 
 
Mr. Steinmetz is a native of La Farge and has taught at the Kickapoo Valley Reserve as a history resource instructor since its inception in the mid-1990s.  The Reserve is comprised of nearly 9,000 acres of land purchased by the U.S. government in the early 1970s for the Dam & Lake Project. After the near completion of the dam and purchase of the property for the lake and surrounding recreational areas, the project was stopped in 1975 for political, financial and environmental reasons.
 
As a teacher at La Farge High School, Mr. Steinmetz worked with students and local volunteers to capture these oral histories, many of which were later chronicled in the 2004 book, The People Remember.  Then, in 2012, Steinmetz published his own book, That Dam History: The Story of the La Farge Dam Project, an ambitious work covering nearly seventy five years of historical ground.
 
On July 29^th, Mr. Steinmetz will provide an overview of the dam project at La Farge. He will then delve into a detailed discussion of the related oral history project, from its initial organization, the invaluable resources that resulted, and the related “products” and public presentations.  In addition, excerpts of these interviews will be shared to bring the subject matter home for the audience.  Finally, Brad will cover the evolution of his own book, and the public’s reaction to it.
 
Copies of That Dam History will be available for sale the night of the event, and a book signing will take place immediately following Mr. Steinmetz’s presentation.
 
The museum and visitor’s center exhibits, always free to the public, will be open 5pm until the lecture begins at 6:30pm.  A guided tour of the 1832 Winnebago Indian Agency will be available at 5pm. (Minimal fee applies; free for Supporters members). Light refreshments will be provided for lecture guests.
 
This is the fifth annual Summer Speaker Series hosted by the Historic Indian Agency House, with one lecture a month from June to September held on the final Tuesday at 6:30pm. The 2014 series, entitled “Uncovering Wisconsin’s Past: Non-Traditional Research Methods and the Shaping of Our History,” will explore the remarkable variety of investigation and study that has molded our understanding of the state we call home.
 
In addition, this theme will allow us to highlight the many types of information that HIAH is able to draw from in interpreting the multifaceted cultural context of our site and the portage. From archaeological and other cultural features located on this property (including at least a few suspected burial sites) to Ho-Chunk oral histories about the immediate area, there is a wealth of knowledge available to the discerning researcher that very much exceeds the limitations of the written word.
 
For the fifth year in a row, this speaker series is free to the public and made largely possible by generous grants from the The Great Circle Foundation Inc. of East Northport and the City of Portage Tourism Promotion Committee.
 
The Historic Indian Agency House hosts a variety of children’s and adult programming throughout the year, including book-your-own Scout workshops! Visit www.agencyhouse.org for a full listing of events, or call 608-742-6362 with any questions.