Message-ID: <SNT104-W54F018D445F09F1C86AA8BA1450@phx.gbl> From: Destinee Udelhoven <destineekae@hotmail.com> Subject: Indian Agency House to Host Black Hawk War Author Kerry Trask Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2011 16:34:37 -0500
Black Hawk War Focus
of Summer Speaker Series Second Installment
The Historic Indian Agency House is hosting a 4-part speaker series, with
one lecture a month from June to September. The series, entitled “To
Arms: Wisconsin and 19th-Century Military Conflicts,” explores the part
icipation of Wisconsinites and the impact of our state’s geography on sev
eral military engagements of the 1900’s. Each installment of the series
—all offered free of charge—will be held on the final Tuesday of each m
onth at 6:30PM.
The second installment of the 2011 series will take place Tuesday, July 2
6. At this time, Professor Kerry A. Trask will present “The Black Hawk
War and the Creation of Wisconsin,” in which he will describe how the w
ar was the “Big Bang” that created our state. Furthermore, Trask wil
l detail his contention that the story of the Black Hawk War, repeated so
often since 1832, is in many ways Wisconsin’s creation myth and has le
ft a deep impression on our collective memory. He will also focus on the th
ree primary players in the bloody events of the summer of 1832—Black Hawk
, Henry Atkinson, and Henry Dodge—and how their personalities, fear
s, hopes, and values shaped the war and, in turn, Wisconsin itself.
As a distinguished professor of history with the University of Wisconsin Co
lleges, Professor Trask taught at UW-Manitowoc from 1972 until his retire
ment in 2008. Trask is the author of three books, his most recent fittin
gly being, “Black Hawk: The Battle for the Heart of America” (Holt 20
06). This work was awarded the 2006 Benjamin F. Shambaugh Award by the Stat
e Historical Society of Iowa and was also recognized for “Outstanding Ach
eivement” by the Wisconsin Library Association. The contributions of Prof
essor Trask’s career to the life and intellectual culture of Wisconsin we
re further recognized in 2008 when he was inducted as a fellow into the Wis
consin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters.
The museum and visitor’s center exhibits, always free to the public,
will be open 5PM until the lecture begins, and a guided tour of the Histo
ric Indian Agency House itself will also be offered for a minimal fee at th
is time. Light refreshments will be provided for lecture guests.
Installments three and four of the series will also focus on military-relat
ed topics. In August historian and professional archivist Peter Shrake, M
.A., will lead a Civil War-themed presentation, and September will clos
e the series with a discussion of the often-occurring and intriguing phenom
enon of Native American involvement in European battles and wars, to be p
resented by Dr. John W. Hall, UW-Madison professor of military history an
d author of “Uncommon Defense: Indian Allies in the Black Hawk War.”
For the second year, the speaker series is free to the public and made la
rgely possible by a generous grant from the Great Circle Foundation, Inc.
of East Northport, New York, with additional financial support provide
d by Forever Yours Jewelry of Portage.
The “To Arms” 2011 lecture series is part of a yearlong Civil War theme
, commemorating the 150th anniversary of this transformative era, at th
e Historic Indian Agency House. Visit www.agencyhouse.org for a full listin
g of events, or call 608-742-6362 for further information.
The Historic Indian Agency House is owned and operated by the
National Society of the Colonial Dames of America in the State of Wisconsin
.
Learn more about this nonprofit organization and its many charitable works
(including an ongoing campaign to restore the 1832 Historic Indian Agency H
ouse)
by visiting http://www.wisconsindames.org/.
___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________
Destinee K. Udelhoven
Executive Director
Historic Indian Agency House
Portage, Wisconsin
(608) 742 - 6362
War makes rattling good history; but Peace is poor reading.
~Thomas Hard
y
2011 is the Year of the Civil War at the Historic Indian Agency House,
with a packed calendar of related events!
Visit www.agencyhouse.org to find out more.