The Spirit of Spirituals: Famous and Stirring Songs of Faith, and their Stories

Cesar Chavez Library 3635 W Baseline Rd, Laveen Village, AZ, United States

People the world over express Divine Devotion through humbly coming together and creating blessed sounds, blending their energies and hearts to help bridge that sometimes narrow, sometimes great, divide between us, as temporal beings, and the Infinite. One example of this bridge is African American sacred music: Negro Spirituals, and the Gospel tradition. Many have […]

The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of WWII

Mohave Museum of History and Arts 400 W. Beale St., Kingman, AZ, United States

During World War II over one thousand women served as Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), freeing male pilots for combat roles at a critical time during the war. The WASP ferried planes from factories to embarkation points; performed engineer test flying of repaired aircraft and did target towing for gunnery training. By the spring of […]

Arizona’s Great Escape

Agave Library 23550 N. 36th Ave., Phoenix, 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 […]

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

Buckeye Valley Museum 116 E Hwy 85, Buckeye, 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, […]

Chiles & Chocolate: Sweet and Spicy Foods in the American West

City of Surprise City Council Chambers 16000 N. Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, AZ, United States

Come have a taste of the rich and savory history of these food favorites, explore how early peoples used them, and how they have evolved and spread to all corners of the world. Food is a portal into culture and can convey a range of cultural meaning including occasion, social status, ethnicity, and wealth depending […]

Arizona: a History of Snake Oil Salesmen, Scams, and Hoaxes

Buckeye Public Library - Downtown Branch 310 N. 6th Street, Buckeye, AZ, United States

Since the earliest days, Arizonans have been visited by entrepreneurs offering all kinds of get rich quick schemes. Benefitting from tales of abundant resources in the territory, limited law enforcement and communication, a scoundrel could create enticing promise of riches and success without much external oversight. Newspapers often fanned the hysteria only to later denounce […]

Pearl Hart, the Lady Bandit- Victim or Vixen… or Both?

McFarland State Historic Park 24 W. Ruggles St, Florence, AZ, United States

Separating fact from fiction is no easy task with flamboyant stage coach robber Pearl Hart. A mountain of conflicting stories abound, thanks in no small part, to Pearl herself. Enamored of the Wild West, she embellished her own tale to accommodate the interest of newspapers and public fascination. This presentation follows Pearl from her modest […]

The Gila: River of History

Arizona Western College / Parker Learning Center 1109 Geronimo Avenue, Parker, 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 […]

Arizona’s Great Escape

Superstition Mountain Museum 4087 N. Apache Trail, Apache Junction, 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 […]

Theodore Roosevelt Slept Here

Eloy Santa Cruz Library 1000 N. Main St., Eloy, 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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