First annual Historic Lecture Series

TG News Report

From May through September, the Kansas Oil Museum will be hosting its first annual Historic Lecture Series. In honor of this year’s 100th anniversary of Armistice Day, the series will feature a variety of different topics exploring life in Butler County in the early decades of the 20th century. The full list of programs includes:
•"Disaster! Fire, Storm, & Other Catastrophes on the Early Oilfields." Thursday, May 24, 6 p.m.
•"Soda Fountains in Kansas." Sponsored by the Kansas Humanities Council. Lecture free to the public. Saturday, June 16, 6 p.m.
•"And Still We Rise: El Dorado's Black Heritage." Thursday, July 12, 6 p.m.
•"1918 Influenza Pandemic: The Illness That Shaped a World War." Thursday, Aug.16, 6 p.m.
•"Victory on a Sea of Oil: World War I & the El Dorado Oilfield." Saturday, Sept. 29, 3 p.m.
The first talk in the series, to be held at the Kansas Oil Museum on May 24, will be “Disaster! Fire, Storm, and Other Catastrophes on the Early Oilfields.” Presented by KOM Educator Ardath Lawson, this talk will explore the many hazards of the early days of oilfield work, starting with the very first disasters at the very first oil wells in Pennsylvania, and highlighting some of the more infamous calamities in Butler County and surrounding areas from the 1910s through the early '20s. It concludes with a brief discussion of how these early disasters spurred advances in oilfield construction and technology along with changes in safety and first aid practices.
Anyone who is interested in the Historic Lecture Series may purchase tickets in advance for the full series or for individual talks. Registration for the full series is $50 for members, $90 for non-members. Each individual program is $15 for members, $25 for non-members, with the exception of June 16th’s program, which is offered free to the public.   Thanks to the generous sponsorship of the Kansas Humanities Council, light refreshments will be provided at each program.
Please call (316) 321-9333 to RSVP or for more information, or find the lecture program schedule at the Events page on the Kansas Oil Museum website, www.kansasoilmuseum.org/attend-an-event.