The Vanishing Trading Posts

Church of the Nazarene 55 Rojo Dr, Sedona

“The Vanishing Trading Posts” presents a snapshot of life in the southwest that has disappeared. In a little over one hundred years, trading posts in the Four Corners were founded, traders and Native Americans flourished, and then the posts faded away. The challenges and unexpected gifts of cross-cultural exchange and stories of trading family dynasties […]

WWII’s Women Air Force Pilots (WASP): A History of America’s First Military Women Aviators

Mohave Community College: Lake Havasu Campus 1977 Acoma Blvd, Lake Havasu City, AZ, United States

Natalie J. Stewart-Smith has been an educator for over 25 years and taught at the elementary, high school, and college levels. As a former Army officer and historian, she is interested in women’s contributions to the military, particularly those who served as military aviators. During World War II over one thousand women served as Women […]

Hyenas in Petticoats – How Women Struggled Against Every Dirty Trick in the Books to Win the Vote!

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

Jana Bommersbach is one of Arizona’s most honored and respected journalists. She has won accolades in every facet of her career— investigative reporter, magazine columnist, television commentator and author of nationally acclaimed books. She currently writes for True West magazine, digging up the true stories behind the popular myths, with an emphasis on Arizona’s real […]

The Ballad of Arizona

Studio 128 134 N Railroad ave, Willcox, AZ, United States

Originally conceived to celebrate Arizona’s Centennial in 2012, “The Ballad of Arizona” has been updated to provide a more complete survey of important, but often little-known, chapters of Arizona’s unique history. A blend of music, video, and lecture, “The Ballad of Arizona” is similar to “A Prairie Home Companion” but with an Arizona twist. The […]

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

Mary D. Fisher Theater - Sedona International Film Festival 2030 State Rte 89A, 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. […]

Free Speech: Can I Tell You How Much I Hate You?

Agave Library 23550 N. 36th Ave., Phoenix, AZ, United States

Freedom of speech is fundamental in a democratic society. It means that a person or a community can express their opinion or ideas without fear of retaliation or censorship. But what happens when the opinions expressed are unpopular, violent or dangerous? Whether expressed in person, or through social media, words can have a powerful effect […]

The Shadow Catchers: 150 Years of Arizona Photography

Phippen Museum 4701 U.S. HWY 89N, Prescott, AZ, United States

For more than a century and a half some of the world’s best photographers focused their lenses on Arizona. In addition to the renowned Edward S. Curtis, Kate Cory lived with the Hopi and represented them in photographs and on canvas, while C. S. Fly gave us the famous Geronimo pictures. In the 20th century […]

The Shadow Catchers: 150 Years of Arizona Photography

Oro Valley Public Library 1305 W. Naranja Drive, Oro Valley, AZ, United States

For more than a century and a half some of the world’s best photographers focused their lenses on Arizona. In addition to the renowned Edward S. Curtis, Kate Cory lived with the Hopi and represented them in photographs and on canvas, while C. S. Fly gave us the famous Geronimo pictures. In the 20th century […]

Honky Tonks, Brothels, and Mining Camps: Entertainment in Old Arizona

Yavapai College, Clarkdale Campus 601 Black Hills Drive, Clarkdale, AZ, United States

In pioneer Arizona, among the best places to experience the performing arts were in the mining towns. Striking it rich meant having disposable income, and miners, like the well-heeled of the Gilded Age, wanted to demonstrate their sophistication with culture. From the early popular music of ragtime and minstrelsy during the forming of these communities, […]

The Gila: River of History

Florence Community Library 778 N. Main St., Florence, AZ, United States

Gregory McNamee is a writer, editor, photographer, and publisher. He is the author of 40 books and more than 6,000 articles and other publications. He is a contributing editor to the Encyclopædia Britannica, a research fellow at the Southwest Center of the University of Arizona, and a lecturer in the Eller School of Management, at […]

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