Evening Lectures
Evening
Lectures
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The Kittitas County Historical Museum hosts an annual evening lecture series that features a variety of interesting topics and great presenters from all across the Pacific Northwest. Topics reflect ongoing exhibits, community and member interest, and aspects of local, state, and national history that spark conversation in a constructive manner.
We are very thankful to the continued support of our museum membership and the generous donations which have made the Evening Lecture Series possible. We also partner annually with the Humanities Washington Speakers Bureau, a nonprofit organization dedicated to opening minds and bridging divides by creating spaces to explore different perspectives.
Each lecture is scheduled to begin at 6:00 PM and to end around 7:30 PM. They are all free and open to the public, but tickets are requested due to limited seating. Virtual access may also be available depending on the evening lecture (please see each lecture for specific information).
Our annual evening lecture series is certainly one not to miss!
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we will be limiting onsite/in-person attendance to 75 individuals. Tickets will be required for all evening lectures but they will be free and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Ticket information as well as any details regarding hybrid or live-streaming options will be posted on our social media pages prior to each presentation. In the event a presentation is cancelled, there is no guarantee that it may be rescheduled.
We greatly appreciate everyone’s support and thank the members, presenters, attendees, supporters and partners like Humanities Washington for making our lecture series possible!
Information on the 2023 Lecture Series will be available soon!
We have concluded the 2022 Annual Evening Lecture Series and we greatly appreciate everyone’s support who made this year possible!! We especially thank the members, presenters, attendees, supporters, and partners like Humanities Washington; and look forward to seeing everyone again next year!
April 21, 2022: Eric Wagner, “After the Blast: Mount St. Helens 40 Years Later”
May 12, 2022: Ross Reynolds, “How Audio Technology Changed the World”
June 2, 2022: Rebecca Hom, “Mary Louise Webster and the WASP | Women’s Airforce Service Pilots” (click for YouTube video)
September 22, 2022: Dave Benscoter, “The Lost Apples of the Inland Empire” (click for YouTube video)
October 13, 2022: Steve Olson, “Atomic Washington: Our Nuclear Past, Present, and Future”
November 3, 2022: Karl Lillquist, “Mountain Snowshoes and the Kittitas Basin: The Prater Family Link” (click for YouTube video)
The 2021 [Onsite] Evening Lecture Series was cancelled due to the social gathering restrictions relating to the COVID-19 virus.
The 2020 [Onsite] Evening Lecture Series was cancelled due to the social gathering restrictions relating to the COVID-19 virus.
We were fortunate to put together special virtual presentations and programming through several partnerships. Find the links to these great programs and shows below:
Special [Virtual] Lectures and Programs:
August 21, 2020: In partnership with the Washington State Historical Society, “Suffrage Special Whistle Stop Tour: Ellensburg,” (click the link to visit their YouTube page for video)
November 19, 2020: In partnership with the Key City Public Theatre, May’s Vote
2019 Evening Lecture Series:
March 28, 2019: “The Gamble: The Washington Potato Story” documentary showing (click for YouTube video)
April 11, 2019: Ty Phelan, “African American Baseball History in Central Washington (1888-1941)” (recorded; click to visit our Facebook page for video)
April 25, 2019: Kelsey Doncaster, “Apple A Day: A History of Apple Box Labels” (recorded; click to visit our Facebook page for video)
May 9, 2019: Trillium-239, “Music with a Message: Songs of Social Change”
May 23, 2019: CANCELLED due to presenter illness
June 5, 2019: Hank Cramer, “FIRST IN: Green Berets In Vietnam, 1957” (recorded; click to visit our Facebook page for video)
September 26, 2019: Feliks Banel, “Storm Warning: Historic Weather in the Evergreen State”
October 10, 2019: Nick Zentner, “Plant Fossils of the Pacific Northwest”
October 24, 2019: Harriet Baskas, “Washington on Wheels: Odd and Innovative Transportation Ideas from the Pacific Northwest”
November 7, 2019: Rex Buck, Jr., “Story of the Wanapum People” (recorded — was not streamed live)
Special Event/Lecture:
October 11, 2019: Nick Zentner, “Central Washington’s Greatest Hits….Geologically” (recorded; click to visit our Facebook page for video)
2018 Evening Lecture Series:
March 29, 2018: Nick Zentner, “Is Mt. Stuart from Mexico?” (recorded; click to visit our Facebook page for video)
April 19, 2018: John Lundin, “Early Skiing on Snoqualmie Pass” (recorded; click to visit our Facebook page for video)
May 10, 2018: John Jensen, “Hollywood and the Homefront: Tinsel Town’s Contribution to World War II”
May 31, 2018: John Marshall, “Fire and Forests through the Lens of Time” (recorded; click to visit our Facebook page for video)
September 20, 2018: Trillium-239, “Bandanas to Badges: Songs and Stories of Northwest Workers”
October 4, 2018: Harriet Baskas, “The Ancient Fruitcake: What Really, Really Old Food Tells Us about History, Culture, Love, and Memory”
October 18, 2018: Kelsey Doncaster, “Lost Photographs of the Kittitas Division of the Yakima Project” (recorded; click to visit our Facebook page for video)
November 1, 2018: Allen Aronica, “The Kittitas People” (recorded; click to visit our Facebook page for video)
2017 Evening Lecture Series:
April 13, 2017: Kelsey Doncaster: “Dynamite, Draglines and the Unexplained Cracking of a Pressure Tunnel: Building the Kittitas Division of the Yakima Project” (recorded; click for video)
May 11, 2017: Feliks Banel: “Diamonds in the Ether: Tuning In to Northwest Radio History”
September 21, 2017: Mick Qualls, “The Life and Times of Ben Snipes” (recorded; click to visit our Facebook page for video)
October 12, 2017: David George Gordon: “Sasquatch: Man-Ape or Myth?”
November 2, 2017: Lorraine McConaghy: “Washington at War: The Evergreen State in World War I”
