From “Chief” to Code Talker: Four Profiles of the Navajo Code Talkers

Apache Junction Library 1177 N. Idaho Rd., Apache Junction, AZ, United States

During WWII a group of young Navajo men enlisted in the Marines without knowing that they would be called on to develop a secret code against the Japanese military. This select group of Code Talkers devised a Navajo language code that was accurate, quick, never broken, and saved many American lives. This talk profiles 4 […]

The History of the (Berlin) Wall: German Experiences for Arizona

Chandler Museum 300 S. Chandler Village Drive, Chandler, AZ, United States

The issue of the US/Mexico border, or any border today, is of central importance. This presentation takes the history of the Berlin Wall as a starting point to address what walls have done to people and cultures throughout time. Can the Berlin Wall help Arizonans understand the critical issues better? Even if that might not […]

The History of the (Berlin) Wall: German Experiences for Arizona

Chandler Museum 300 S. Chandler Village Drive, Chandler, AZ, United States

The issue of the US/Mexico border, or any border today, is of central importance. This presentation takes the history of the Berlin Wall as a starting point to address what walls have done to people and cultures throughout time. Can the Berlin Wall help Arizonans understand the critical issues better? Even if that might not […]

The Navajo Long Walk (1863 through 1868): Through the Eyes of Navajo Women

Red Rock State Park - AZ State Parks 4050 Red Rock Loop Road, Sedona, AZ, United States

The Navajo people of old were forced to leave their homes and walk over 450 miles to Fort Sumner in eastern New Mexico where they were imprisoned on a small reservation. For four long years the Navajo people faced hunger, loneliness, disorientation, illnesses, severe environmental conditions, and hopelessness. Navajo women were forced to become warriors. […]

On the Road Since 1925: The Colorful History of Arizona Highways Magazine

Desert Caballeros Western Museum 21 N. Frontier Street, Wickenburg, AZ, United States

The first issue of Arizona Highways magazine was published in April, 1925. In this presentation, former publisher Win Holden will share the fascinating story of how a brochure produced by the Arizona Highway Department evolved into one of the most respected and revered publications in the world. With annual economic impact of over $65 million, […]

The Gila: River of History

Apache Junction Library 1177 N. Idaho Rd., Apache Junction, AZ, United States

Six hundred miles long from its source in the mountains of southwestern New Mexico to its confluence with the Colorado River above Yuma, the Gila has been an important avenue for the movement of birds, animals, plants, and peoples across the desert for millennia. Many cultures have sprung up on its banks, and millions of […]

China Mary: History and Legend

Paradise Valley Community College - Buxton Library 18401 N 32nd St, Phoenix, AZ, United States

A 1960 episode of The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, the first Western television series, immortalized China Mary as a strong, powerful and ruthless Asian female figure in American popular imagination. The legend of her as an infamous Dragon Lady who ruled Tombstone’s Chinatown with an iron fist cannot be substantiated by historical research. […]

Arizona’s Great Escape

Mohave County Library Lake Havasu Branch 1770 McCulloch Blvd N., Lake Havasu City, AZ, United States

During the night of Christmas Eve in 1944, twenty-five Nazi German prisoners of war escaped from Papago Park POW camp on the outskirts of Phoenix and headed towards Mexico. These men were hardcore Nazis, ex U-boat commanders, and submariners, who had successfully dug a nearly 200-foot underground tunnel that took four months to complete. Many […]

Borders, Walls, and Immigration in Arizona

Patagonia Public Library 346 Duquesne, Patagonia, AZ, United States

The Arizona-Mexico border is a line of separation and a place of coming together. This paradox shapes the borderland region and its people in fascinating and important ways. In this talk, Dr. Warren offers a historical and geographical overview of the formation of the Arizona- Mexico border and its evolution since the 1800s. The program […]

Theodore Roosevelt Slept Here

Quartzsite Community Center 295 E. Chandler, Quartzsite, AZ, United States

Theodore Roosevelt exhibited a greater influence on Arizona than perhaps any other president. He was the first sitting president to visit Arizona, employed an executive order to preserve the Grand Canyon, established a variety of wildlife refuges and reclamation projects, and enjoyed outdoor recreation in the area. This program will share Roosevelt’s widespread influence in […]

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